Thunderstorm Rising
by Nigel Yearning
Summary: Dixieland National Park is a special park, a "secret" park. Sealed off from the public, the local Unovan town of Dixie proud themselves to have a sanctuary for the Mouse Pokemon. But the town's secret is threatened, as human beings hired by Team Rocket are the Dixierat's only predator, and they're bringing in a storm.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Prologue_

The train grunt and squealed as it roared down the tracks. Nearby birds burst from their nests, startled by the noise as it passed by. It was a clear day, with few cotton ball clouds floating in the blue sky. The town of Dixie was at least 20 kilometers away, it will take at least 5 minutes for the train to past. The conductor wiped the sweat off his forehead with a hankerchief, then pulled the train horn for the 6th time. Anyone or anything up ahead was alerted to its annoying toot, assuming something with ears heard it.

Stretching at least 3 kilometers long, 4 meters tall, and 4 meters wide, the train packed a serious punch. Built 15 years ago, the locomotive carried its freight from town to town, delivering electronics, food, and appliances. From there, workers truck it over to the store for consumers to buy. The freight train was reliable. Always one time, always on schedule. Sometimes a little bit ahead of schedule, as its long time conductor always go a little too fast. Like cars on roads, trains also obey speed limits. For this train and the track it was lumbering on, it was 140 KPH. But the conductor, looking to earn a bonus for extra time, sped it up to 160 KPH. Train speed limits weren't well enforced as car speed limits, so when the conductor checked to see if nobody was watching, he gunned the engines near the max and rode by the seat of his pants. The train moved so fast that it could have been one of those new bullet trains.

In the back, several freight cars carried appliances, electronics, the usual stuff. However, there were 10 carts carrying more sensitive and delicate cargo. Locked away in padded cages, were Pikachus and Raichus from multiple Pokémon labs. They were shut in tight, almost hunching in the near darkness while listening to the roar of human power. These Mouse Pokémon were specially bred for compliance and experimentation, they had the tattooed serial numbers under their left foots to prove it. When they reach their destination, they would be violated and experimented on for "the good of humanity." To them, it was sadistic torture. Yes, they were fed properly. Yes, they were bathed. Yes, they got social interaction with each other. No matter, they were still imprisoned. Held against their will. They chatted amongst themselves in the cars, Pikachus and Raichus were so social that a hundred yammering mouths was almost louder than the roar of a train's diesel engine. A few Pikachus and Raichus didn't bother trying to communicate, sleeping soundly or tending to their thoughts.

Somewhere up ahead, rust covered the tracks like fast-growing mold. These tracks were poorly maintained, maintenance crews simply pulverize the weeds growing in the tracks, doing nothing more. Anything else that doesn't involve plant work was not their domain. The tracks were much older than the train's newest parts, they were begging Mother Nature to pull them apart. Ahead of the train, their was a tight curve. A hard turn to the left. The tracks here were more worn in than the straighter ones. Here, rust had eaten into the rivets. Vibrations from passing trains knock off the rust and more rust formed until it gets to the center. From their, the rivets fail, but still hold up since trains who past before always go slower around turns.

Until now.

The conductor sees the turn up ahead, he made no attempt to slow down the train. He just kept the train cruising along at its current speed, confident that the tracts would hold. Unova's infrastructure was one of the mightiest in the world, they were literally built to take on sheer limits. Truth was, train tracks made out of stretched and battered steel could only take in so much.

The train hit the curve and proceed to make the turn. The train groaned and squealed as the wheels ground into the tracks. The rusty rivets could hold no more. Like a zipper going down, the rivets snapped and the tracks came loose. The train's momentum tore up the tracks and derail. The conductor didn't feel the tracks give way, but when he saw the world started turning clockwise he panicked. The smartest thing the conductor done all day was hit the emergency stop button. The engine was killed and all emergency brakes on all cars lock up. The deafening squeal of a thousand wheels grinding against the tracks in a violent choir. The conductor hang on, the main car started rolling like crazy. The nearby trees helped slowed the momentum but the huge work of metal snapped them like tooth picks. The conductor was flung around in his seat until he smashed his head on the control panel, he died instantly. The main car was twisted off from the rest of the cars and was tossed aside, coming to rest on its top.

With the emergency brakes engaged on all cars, they should ground to a halt. However, the high speed and heavy weight of the cars kept them going. More track rivets went, the rails were pulled apart. Every car that went through the broken turn was turned over and pushed aside by the car behind it in a violent case of dominoes. The Mice Pokémon in the 10 cars were also derailed. First they heard a loud squeal of grinding metal, then the world started spinning. The padded cages, more protected than the conductor's compartment, kept the Pokémon safe as the cars started rolling. The walls held firm against the earth, but the roof was made out of riveted plastic. A chunk of it was torn off from every past over the ground as the cars rolled. All the Mice Pokémon screamed as they were tossed around in their cages like ping pong balls. Two minutes from the moment the train derailed, the last few cars still remaining on the track ground to a halt. The sad mutilation of human ingenuity lay scattered across the forest of splinters and downed trees. This train's life on the rails – as well as its conductor – was officially over.

Yet for the Mice Pokémon, their lives had just begun.

Though the cages were rubber-coated and padded, the locks were out in the open. Some cage doors had burst open and their occupants thrown out like rag dolls. They simply got back up, brushed off the dust, and went to work trying to get the cages open. They picked up bits of metal and jammed them into the space between the door and the cage, using all their muscle to pop them open. The process was somewhat successful, some cages went while others stayed firmly shut. The Mice Pokémon were on a time limit. There was no telling when the police or some folks with authority would come around to investigate why the train hadn't arrived. If that happened, then the Pikachus and Raichus' moment of freedom would end.

One Pikachu figured it out, his cage broke and was thrown out by the inertia of the spinning car, momentary knocked out when he hit his head on the floor. When he awoke, he felt his arm was broken. When he held it up, he was horrified to find his left hand was somehow amputated from the accident. He tried looking for it, but to no avail. His right eye blurred, the blow had ruptured several blood vessels. The Pikachu couldn't find himself concerned right now, he kept a hand tight on what was left of his wrist, struggling to stop the bleeding. Being one of the oldest and wisest, he knew that the conductor had the keys and a first aid kit.

When he got a look at his surroundings, he saw the car had split in two. Several cages held firm, Pikachus and Raichus panicked and begged their elder to open the cages. Still stunned from the blow, he couldn't hear them. He doesn't need to. The keys had to be in the main car, all this Pikachu had to do was find it.

The Pikachu walked through the split of the car, bright sunlight blinded him. With his one good eye, he saw the carnage before him. Train cars were strewn everywhere, trees were mangled, the dirt churned up. The scene looked like a bomb had went off. Over in the distance, the Pikachu saw what looked like a storm, heading its way toward the train. That was good and bad. Good, because it would buy the Mice Pokémon time. Bad, because they would be exposed to the elements. They need to get out, or they would die here. The made his way past the broken cars, the cries of panicking Pikachus and Raichus rang in ten of them. One of them tried to unleash a big Thunderbolt, a train car lit up like the sun for a brief second before the rubber-coated cages canceled it out. The old Pikachu carefully navigated his way around the pulverized wreck, his head and wrist throbbed in pain. He had experienced pain from needles and electric shocks before, but this was unbearable. So unbearable that he wasn't sure if he was going to make it.

Well if that was the case, then he had to buy himself some time. His children and grandchildren and nephews and nieces needed him, they always relied on him. He swore he heard several of them scream his name.

The Pikachu hopped on a downed tree, he slipped on the bark and flopped on the other side. He landed on one of his ears. It stung with pain, the Pikachu tried not to cry. He got back up on his hind legs and continued on. He went around a few more cars. One car had burst open and boxes of appliances were spread out. The Pikachu walked passed them. He walked around a few more derailed cars and splintered trees. There it was, the main car. It sat on its roof, plumes of steam billow out from its belly as the hot engine cooled off. The Pikachu tightened the pressure over his wrist and walked up to one of the windows. The door to the cab had bust open, the Pikachu climbed through. Inside, the conductor's lifeless corpse hang from the seat. His arms dangle from his shoulders like spaghetti noodles. Blood dripped down from his broken skull to form a huge puddle of blood on the metal ceiling. Sitting at the corner, the Pikachu found the first aid kit he was looking for. It was battered from being flung around in the cab, but it held firm. His feet crunched against the broken glass as he walked toward it, giving occasional glances at the dead conductor. The Pikahcu grabbed the first aid kit and opened it up, then got to work.

He tore open a packet of alcohol swab and smear it all over the stump. The Pikachu breathed in through his teeth, it stung bad. Hot tears formed in his eyes as he cleaned up the wound. He tossed aside the bloodied alcohol swab, then placed a pad of gauze over the stump. He then unrolled some gauze strips and wrapped up the stump, getting it as tight as he can. He taped it down with medical tape and checked his work, it was good to go.

Next he wrapped gauze over his bad eye and part of his head. Not knowing how bad it was, he wrapped it up until it was snug, then taped it down. He felt around to see if the bandages would hold, it seemed it would. The Pikachu then repacked the first aid kit and sat it aside, next he needed to find the keys.

He looked up at the conductor again, there they were, clipped to his belt. They were out of reach. Just as the Pikachu tried to figure out how to get them, the seat belt broke and the body flopped to earth. The Pikachu jumped back and held his breath, the body laid there motionless. The guy was dead, no hope for him. Though he was the guy who was going to take them to another Pokémon lab for experiments, the Pikachu couldn't find much hate for him. He wasn't the guy who forced his family into this slavery, he was just doing what he was paid to do. The Pikachu hammered down his sympathies and refocused on the task. The keys. The Pikachu turned the body over and found them. He unclipped them from his belt and held them up. Bingo.

Thinking the Pikachu might need the first aid kit again, he undo the conductor's belt and pulled it out. He then took the first aid kit and used the belt to strap it onto his back. It was difficult to do it with only one hand, but he got it done. He checked his work, the belt would hold. Time to go.

The Pikachu climbed out of the main car with the keys in hand. He went back to the other Mice Pokémon and walked into one of the down cars. Three Pikachus worked desperately to force the cages open as their brethren cried around them. The older Pikachu whistled through his teeth, the whole car went silent. When he got the three Pikachus attention, he handed the keys to one of them. That Pikachu took the keys and checked for the right one. One of them made a perfect fit and the Pikachu unlocked it, freeing the trapped one inside. As he worked to unlock the other cages, the older Pikachu saw his work was done. The others could take over. Now all he had to do was find a nearby town with a Pokémon Center in it, then get professional medical attention. Some Pikachus came to his aid and help him along, then they made the journey through the woods to the unknown.

For the other Mice Pokémon, they broke from their cages within minutes. Then poured out of the cars in a mass formation and escaped to where they thought their elder went. Some Pikachus and Riachus stuck behind to retrieve some food caches from the cars, they planned to set up shop somewhere where they could celebrate their new-found freedom. Within an hour, the site was deserted. The thunderstorm in the distance had arrived, it rumbled and roared as its gray clouds approached. Lighting struck nearby, giving off the biggest thunder the land had ever heard.

**. . . **

_30 Years Later..._

"Chu Chu," said Pika, "Chu!" _Chuchu, wake up!_

Chuchu stirred. Faint rays of sunlight broke through the small opening of the burrow, she let out a yawn and sat up. Her mate sat before her, clutching their offspring in his hands. Chuchu smiled, warm fuzziness bloomed in her heart as she saw him.

"Pika, Pika." she said. _Morning, Pika_.

Pika handed her the Pichu egg, she scooped it up and hugged it, "Pikachu." _Beautiful morning out there_.

The couple crawled out of their small burrow and poked their heads out. Many ancient growth trees tower over them, their leaves faintly blocked out the sun. The air smelled fresh today, heck, it always smelled fresh in the morning. Pika and Chuchu sat at the mouth of their nest, their precious egg sitting between them, as they look out into the vast landscape of the forest. Their hearts beaming with pride.

_"How's your brother?" _Chuchu asked in their Pokémon language.

Pika shrugged, _"Doing okay, I think he should come around sometime day."_

Chuchu pick up the egg and clutch it in her arms, _"Let's go see what the others are doing, maybe your brother would be there."_

_ "I doubt it," _said Pika, _"He's no morning person."_

_ "But you can never know."_

_ "True, I suppose he'll turn up."_

"Pika!" cried out a faint voice deep from the trees, it bounced around in the air before fading into a dying echo.

"Chu!" Pika called out, his voice flowed out, echoing into the distance in all directions.

_"Sounds like the whole pack is up," _Chuchu tucked Pika's hand, _"Come on, Pika, let's see what they have for breakfast."_

_ "I'm coming, Chuchu." _Pika replied.

Pika and Chuchu walked side by side towards the pack. Pika walked on all fours as Chuchu walked on her hind legs, her arms preoccupied in carrying the egg. Starting a family was always difficult out in the wild. There was so many threats that could harm the tiny Pichus, but luckily there were other Mouse Pokémon dens nearby. Her pack had colonized this area of Dixieland National Park for sometime now, there was a den always within 50 meters from another. They were dug out and camouflaged into small hills and the trees. Dug properly, no one's the wiser. Poorly dug, the nest would cave in or leak. Even dug open by predators who took note of the nests. The Mouse Pokémon burrows were well padded with compressed dirt and clay. Dead leaves and other plant material was strewn over it to give insulation and waterproofing. One Mouse Pokémon might get lucky and find a fragment of a tarp or a trash bag from human civilization, use that for waterproofing. Or even better, rain collection.

The couple walked passed several of their cousins' dens. They were empty. Everyone had gathered out in the meadow. Chuchu heard snores from one den, typical heavy sleepers. They always like to sleep in on Saturdays. Pika and Chuchu walked passed and made their way through some bushes. Low and behold, the wide open meadow was there before them. Pichus, Pikachus, and Raichus filled the meadow. Some Pikachus were cuddling with each others. A small group of Pichus were playing. One Raichu was playing with his Pichu children, tickling them and rolling them around. Several Pikachus chased each other, laughing as they dive-bombed on each other and roll in the grass. Some Mice Pokémon sat around and converse with each other, nibbling on foraged food from the forest.

Pika and Chuchu walked into the group and found a suitable spot, Chuchu sat down and wrapped her arms around the egg as Pika took a quick look around, _"I'm going to find some food, you just hang tight. Okay, sweetie?"_

_ "Sure, Pika." _said Chuchu.

The two rubbed noses and Pika head off to search for food. Chuchu sat there and looked around, the sound of a million yammering Mice Pokémon was so loud she wondered why she couldn't hear it back at the den. No wonder many Mice Pokémon can sleep in, their work on the dens had paid off. Chuchu yawned and polished her Pichu egg with her wrist.

She could never forget the day when she first laid it. She was going to be a mother, and having the father around was a nice bonus. Sometimes the father wanders off to do their own thing, not cut out for parenting. Sometimes they stay to parent. At times, the Pichus themselves might choose to bail and take on the world, without being raised by their parents. The thought of her Pichu leaving right after its born made her sad, but not really sad. It wasn't like they were going anywhere. They always stick nearby, doing their own thing. Sometimes the Pichus band together with other Tiny Mice Pokémon to cause innocent chaos. Chuchu chuckled, Pichus are so mischievous at times.

She looked over to the edge of the field and saw a Pichu climbing over a Pikachu, the Pikachu just sat there as the Tiny Mouse Pokémon climbed over her face. Blocking her vision with its body. The Pikachu gently pulled the Pichu off and sat it down. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon simply climbed back on top of her head and covered her face again. She pulled it off, it climbed back up. The Pikachu pulled the Pichu off at least 10 times before she had enough. When the Pichu tried to get on her for the 11th time, the Pikachu plucked him off and pinned him to the ground. She placed her mouth on its belly and blew into its fur and skin, the Pichu squealed in laughter as it thrashed its little arms and legs. Nearby Mice Pokémon took notice, they watched for a minute before turning back to their own activities.

_"Hey, Chuchu," _a Pikachu called out, _"Catch!"_

Chuchu turned towards the voice, just in time to see a neon orange frisbee coming straight at her. She ducked. The frisbee soared over her head towards a Raichu. Its back was turned. The frisbee struck the back of his head and bounced off. The Raichu jumped, he looked around for what hit him. He couldn't find it. The Raichu went back to staring off into space.

The Pikachu who threw the frisbee quickly retrieved it, then jogged up to Chuchu, _"Wanna play frisbee, Chuchu?" _she asked.

Chuchu shook her head, _"I'm waiting for breakfast. Besides, I have a nest egg to watch."_

The Pikachu sniffed the egg, then turned back to ChuChu, _"When is it due?"_

_ "In a few days."_

_ "What are you going to name it?"_

_ "Not sure, I don't know if its a boy or girl."_

The Pikachu sat up and sat the frisbee aside, _"Don't know?"_

_ "Yes, I don't know."_

_ "You can't tell?"_

_ "Does anyone around here guess the gender of their egg?"_

The Pikachu didn't respond right away, _"I guess not."_

_ "__Look," _said Chuchu, _"Go find someone else to play with, my mate get's anxious if he finds I'm gone."_

The Pikachu clutched her frisbee in both hands, stared at it for a moment, then sighed, _"Fine, I don't blame you. Taking care of a Pichu egg is a big responsibility."_

_ "__It is," _said Chuchu, _"wait until you lay an egg, you'll find out that responsibility soon enough."_

The Pikachu held her head low as she walked off, dragging her frisbee along with her. Chuchu wondered where she got it. Strange how Pikachus and Raichus managed to get things in town. Easy thing to get was garbage, cause garbage was out in the open for anyone to feast from. Heck, that was how she met Pika. She was just cruising along the back alleys of the town of Dixie and there he was. Sitting in a mountain of scrap food in a dumpster. She remembered how their eyes met each other, feeling the love from first sight. Eventually she joined Pika in the dumpster and ate till their bellies were full, then mated in the dumpster in three different positions.

Ah, good days.

Like all males, Chuchu suspected Pika to run off afterwords. Sometimes they come back to mate again, just for fun. They always do that, _she _once done that. She would had just moved on if Pika hadn't stuck around. The fact that he stayed with her, told Chuchu that it wasn't part-time love. It was full-time love. Real love, and not for fun. He showed no signs of cheating her, Chuchu gave him her trust. So far he hadn't broken it, though she sometimes question when Pika was out a little too long.

Chuchu sighed, she was bored. This egg she had to watch. She wondered what the gender was. She had her thoughts of naming her child, and so does Pika. She couldn't think of anything, since other Pikachus and Raichus already took the names she thought of. Maybe she would go out into town and eavesdrop on some humans, see what names they had. Of course, getting caught in the trash might spell an end to her. Assuming they could-

_BOOM!_

"SAHH!"

All conversations and thought processes ceased. That was a gunshot, sounded powerful too. Chuchu felt fear jam up her spine. Where was Pika? He should be back by now.

_"Where did that come from?" _cried a Pikachu.

_"In the bushes," _another Pikachu cried, _"on our south flank!"_

_ "Anyone shot?" _a Raichu asked.

Another shot blasted through, this time Chuchu saw where the bullet went. It zipped through the crowd and punched through the skull of a Pikachu, brain matter was pulverized and strewn everywhere in a bloody confetti as the Pikachu flopped dead. Chuchu clutched her egg, she knew what this meant.

_"POACHERS!" _a Pikachu cried.

A loud whistle blew and a symphony of gunshots rang out. Multiple Pikachus and Raichus dropped like flies, blood explode as flesh was torn apart. Chuchu grabbed her egg and ran, ran as fast as she could back to the burrow. Bullets whizzed past her ears in giant puffs. They struck the Mice Pokémon in front of her. The bullets knocked them down with brute force, tearing up their insides in the process. Many Pichus ran for dear life, others stayed behind and tried to save their fallen parents, some of which were dead from fatal shots. Some shots struck Pichus, snuffing them out in a puff of red mist.

"PIKA!" Chuchu cried for her mate, "PIKAAA!"

A bullet struck her in the back, knocking her forward. The egg broke free from her grasp and rolled, she hit the ground hard as massive pain rippled up her back, _"Help," _she cried, _"somebody help me!"_

The Pikachu with the orange frisbee quickly ran to her aid as fast as she can, she ran on all fours with the frisbee on her head. Chuchu tried to crawl toward her, but the pain in her back kept her from moving, _"Don't worry," _the Pikachu cried, _"I got y-"_

A bullet cut the Pikachu off, it blew through her temple and blasted out the back of her head. She flopped face first, the orange frisbee dropped and rolled a meter away. Chuchu's eyes went big. The screams of Mice Pokémon grew louder and desperate, most becoming death cries.

_She was just a kid, _Chuchu thought as she stared at the frisbee Pikachu, _just a kid, why? _

Chuchu turned back to her egg, she used all her remaining strength and got back up to her feet. Blood trickled down her leg, making her foot sticky. Chuchu quickly picked up the egg and jumped over a small hill, two bullets blasted past her as she does so.

Now out of the kill zone, Chuchu quickly made her way past the other dens to her own. She thought again where Pika was, where was he and why hadn't he shown up when the attack happened? Chuchu felt betrayed, her heart ached as she clutched their offspring in her hands. The world began feeling dizzy, almost spinning. She managed to keep her balance as several more Mice Pokémon ran past her. The gunshots had mostly faded now, soon the poachers would move in to make sure they had hit their mark. If they found her and her egg, they both were done for.

Chuchu found the nest, she squeezed through the entrance and covered it up. She sat the egg down and collapsed. Hot tears trailed down her face as she struggled to breathe. The air temperature was dropping, the world became more dizzy. She knew what was happening.

_I'm dying_, she thought, _no, no, no, I can't die. I don't want to leave my Pichu all alone!_

She turned to her egg, and took a deep breath, _"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I love you . . . I love __you. . ."_

Chuchu rested her head and relaxed. The loud screams and noises deafen as the world became darker. Before death claimed her, Chuchu placed her hand on her egg and breathed her last words, _"Please, someone take care of my child!"_

Then she let go.

**TO BE CONTINUED. . .**


	2. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 1_

"Hand me another one."

The hobo popped open a beer bottle and handed it to Tesla, the goggle-wearing old Pikachu slammed it down his throat faster than any human.

"I never seen a Pokémon drink before." exclaimed one of the hobos.

"Well," said Tesla, "now you had."

The freight train groaned and lumbered along the rail at a steady speed, Tesla didn't mind the darkness of the freight car. The metal interior proved warm and cozy. He had been riding with the hobos for a day now, and they sure know how to make a place comfortable with limited stuff. Using a tattered blanket, crumpled newspapers, cardboard boxes, and duct tape. They crafted a makeshift couch. It looked similar to a redneck couch, but more rough and crude. Tesla took delivery of sitting on it, since his reputation precedes him. For once in his life, he was glad of it instead of annoyed. Or maybe that was the alcohol working its magic.

"So what have you been doing since you retired, Tesla?" asked the hobo who called himself, the "Hobo Lord."

Tesla thought up an answer, "Oh, just roaming around, seeing the world for its natural beauty. I get around, like you guys, though I'm more of a tramp than a hobo. I often claim old age as an excuse, but I doubt most of everyone I encounter knew it's bullsh*t."

Hobo Lord laughed, "Hard to believe your a century old."

"Most Mouse Pokémon never even reached 50. I blame technology for keeping me around, everyone want to see me battle on the telly. The kids often get cocky and try to battle me, in _public_. They pulled out a reasonable Pokémon, often a starter, then battle me. Guess what I did?"

"You battled?"

Tesla shook his head, "No, I _fought_. Different from battling, because when you fight, there are no rules. You should had seen the look on the kids' faces when I incapacitate their Pokémon with my clever karate moves, watching them cry home was better than any movie."

"Why?" Hobo Lord asked.

"Well . . . I'm retired. I don't want to battle anymore. I'm done with that life. So I played dirty and bend amateurs to my rules, they abort their capture attempt and ran for the hills. I just simply walked away like nothing even happened."

Tesla laid down on the couch and sat the beer bottle aside, the buzz in his brain was ticking and bubbly. He had enough booze for one day, "You know, people never leave me alone. I'm so damn popular that I often wish to dig my own grave and bury myself. Nobody gets it, they never do. They don't know how a Pokémon's life is like. They had no idea that I was brought into Pokémon battling in a rusty cage, I'm just glad that my trainer took me out of it. He understood my suffering, and maybe his best-friend. I don't know if I would ever meet another person who knows."

The car went silent, nothing but the rumbling and groaning of the locomotive cruising along. Tesla slept on the couch, giving off light snores. It was a dreamless sleep. He doesn't entirely trust the hobos so he kept an ear finely tuned in case something stirred. Sure enough, it had. The train started slowing down, he could feel it tug his body as it decelerate. Tesla opened his eyes and turned toward the hobos, "We're almost to the rail station?"

"Yup," said Hobo Lord, "we're almost there."

Tesla sat up and scratched his back, "I'll be getting off here, its nice talking to you guys."

"Take care, Tesla," said one of the Hobo Lord's friends, "Hopefully you won't have any problems to deal with."

"I hope so to."

Within minutes, the train ground to a halt. Hobo Lord unlatched the car door and opened it, bright morning sunlight shined through. Tesla took one last swig of his beer and tossed the bottle aside, he jumped out of the car and Hobo Lord closed the door behind him. The old Mouse Pokémon found himself surrounded by other trains with their cars. Faint whistles and voices toot and yammer in the distance, the feeling of civilization. Half drunk from beer, Tesla wobbled as he walked along the rail tracks. He kept his head low, any humans coming around to make an inspection of the trains might spot him and raise chaos. Not what he wanted right now. Tesla took a deep breath and crawled underneath the trains, making a stealthy past as the rail yard tend to routine business.

He stopped, Tesla held his breath and watched as a human walked past him. The human was wearing blue jeans and a pair of work boots. Tesla poke his head out to get a better look, sure enough it was an inspector, walking down the tracks with a clipboard in his hand and a pencil on his ear. Tesla crept out from underneath the train car and scuttled past the inspector. He didn't noticed a thing. The old Pikachu squeezed underneath another train and popped out the other side.

Up ahead he saw what looked like the train station itself, turns out there were passenger trains on the other side of the rail yard. Tesla could see the people lining up to the ticket booths, waiting patiently for a seat on the trains. One train was heading to the town of Dixie, he could see people packing into the train as it was getting ready to leave, "That's gotta be it," Tesla thought aloud, "I gotta get on there."

Tesla crawled to the edge of the concrete platform and scurried across its edge, he kept an eye up for anyone who might be watching. There were none. He reached the other side of the platform and peaked over it, one of the workers in the train yard was telling people to get back. The train steamed and whistled, it was getting warmed up. No time left. Tesla crouched and crept up to the train, once again he checked to see if anyone was looking. No one noticed as he climbed up on the passenger car and hopped up onto the roof.

He laid flat on his belly and waited. The locomotive blew its whistle and started moving, in seconds the train started picking up speed and pulled out of the station. The train passed by many freight and passenger trains, the station slowly becoming more of a speck in the distance. When he felt the train was far enough from the station, Tesla relaxed. He won't need to worry about authority for-

"Hey," called out a voice, "what are you doing up there!?"

_Uh-oh. _Tesla thought.

**. . .**

Ash sat by the window, it took his breath away. These pristine forests almost look untouched. In Unova's most isolated providence, land development was rare as it was foreign. No cabins built, no campsites established. Nothing. Just a huge patch of untamed wilderness for countless wild Pokémon to enjoy. All that forest surround a town so small, maps would mark "Actual Size" right underneath the name. Ash tried to remember what it was called. Dixie, right? Not a single road connect to Dixie. Used to, but for unknown reasons, the local populace had planted a dense cluster of trees in the dirt roads. Thirty years of growth formed an impenetrable wooded area. The diversity of the trees help it roughly blend in with the forest between the reforest area. Not very noticeable on the ground, but sticks out like a sore thumb by air.

The only access to Dixie was by train, Ash and his friends managed to buy a ticket for the next train ride. It was difficult. The clerk at the station was hesitant at first. Strangely though, he changed his mind when he saw Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. The change from nervousness to calm made Ash wonder what was up. Yes, Pikachu wasn't native to Unova and he'd been getting a lot of attention. Ash couldn't recall the last time Pikachu's presence calmed the nerves of a stranger. Maybe he had before, but he couldn't remember. Stuff like that roughly gets remembered.

"Pika Pi." said Pikachu.

Ash looked down and saw Pikachu leaped on his lap, the Mouse Pokémon snuggled by his side and looked up at him with glazed eyes. Ash stroke Pikachu's ears and smiled, "How you're doing, buddy?" he asked.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said cheerfully.

"So what are we going to do in Dixie, Ash?" Cilan asked, he sat next to Ash as Iris and her Axew sat in the seat behind them. Ash pulled out a small notebook and checked it,

"We're going to find someone named Andy," said Ash, "He's a Pokémon doctor who lives out around here, we're going to track him down and ask a few things."

Cilan made a puzzled look, "What are we going to ask him?"

"I heard that Andy knows of special tips about Pokémon training, tips that few people would ever know. Pokémon Masters use his kind of tips and tricks to get at the top of the field. If we learn those tips, we may stand a better chance in future Pokémon battles."

Cilan glanced around the train car, "I wonder what those tips are, could they be useful?"

"I don't know," said Ash, "If they aren't, then we could stick around and figure out the oddities of Dixie. Like, why aren't any roads connecting to it."

"Pika." Pikachu nodded in curiosity.

"Get off of there!" an angry voice cried.

"No." a calm voice replied.

Ash and Cilan looked to where the commotion was coming from, outside between two passenger cars a train attendant was yelling at something on the roof. His patience running thin, ready to blow his stack. The door was wide open, everyone in earshot turned towards the train attendant and listened in on the argument, "Unova transit regulations firmly stated that no one, and I repeat, _no _one, should be on the roof of the passenger cars! I please ask you again to get off!"

"But it has a lot of wind up here," said that calm voice again, "Very breezy and roomy, and open."

"Don't whine at me. Wait a second, how are you even talking? You're a Pikachu, a-"

"A furry ball of piss with nothing better to do, but to piss people off."

_Uh-oh_, Ash thought, _I know that attitude_.

Pikachu saw the look on Ash's face and understood. He hopped on his shoulder as his trainer stood up, "I better check this out."

"I'll go with you, Ash." said Cilan.

Iris and Axew stuck their heads up, "What's going on?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked.

Ash shrugged, "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's not going to end well."

Ash walked up at the front as people and Pokémon looked on, his friends followed right behind him. They stepped outside, the world zipped by as the train's momentum kicked up. Wow, so it was breezy out here. Ash wondered why there was no such thing as convertible cars for trains.

"What's wrong, sir?" he asked the train attendant.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked as well.

The train attendant looked at Ash, then pointed up on the roof, "That's what's wrong. That Pikachu won't come down, is he yours?"

Ash looked up on the roof, his eyes went big. 107 year old Tesla Westinghouse sat on the roof of the car, calm and relaxed with a smile on his face. Turbulence from the freight car breezed across his fur like a gentle hurricane, giving youth to the elderly Pokémon. The old Pikachu looked out into the horizon, enjoying the view of the natural wilderness.

"No," Ash answered, "nobody owns him."

The train attendant grumped, "Well someone's gotta pull him down from there, he'll might fall and get ground up in the tracks."

Ash held his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Hey, Tesla!"

Tesla looked down at Ash, he lit up with excitment, "Ash, it's good to see you again! I never thought I would bump into you in a train! What a coincidence. Well, anyway, come up here. The air's amazing!"

"I have to pass on that, Tesla," said Ash, "You gotta come down, you'll hurt yourself!"

Tesla frowned, he stood up on his hind legs and held up a fist, "That sounded like something came from your Ma. Well how about that, goody-two-shoes," Tesla spun around and stuck his tail up at him, "You're not my trainer, not even my Pa! I put up 70 years of strict rules from my trainer and I deserve some freedom for crying out loud!"

He spun around and faced him, "I had doctors who died on me, you know. They all told me the same thing! Don't eat too much fat! Always avoid the junkfood! Get plenty of exercise everyday! That's what they all yammer at me for all these years . . . and so I disregard them and they died on me! How about them apples!"

The train attendant turned to Ash and asked, "What is he talking about?"

"He's making excuses to stay up there, he's not making this up. He really did had doctors who died on him."

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded.

Ash turned back to Tesla and called up, "Well then, can you come down so we don't have to shout over the wind?"

"No!" was Tesla's terse reply.

The raven-haired boy sighed and pulled out a Poké ball, "Snivy," he commanded, "use Vine Whip to get Tesla down!"

Ash tossed the Poké ball and Snivy materialized before him in a bright white light, "Snivy!"

The Grass Snake Pokémon uncoiled her two vines and stretched them out. Tesla laughed, "So that's how its going to be. Well, guess what, Ash?"

"What?" Ash asked.

"Pika? Pikachu asked as well.

Tesla waved a fist at him again and spoke in a defiant voice, "You'll never take me alive!"

The old Pikachu spring his legs and leaped off the train. Up ahead, the train passed a large green welcome sign. Just when Tesla was mid-air, he plowed straight into the metal sign at a hundred kilometers an hour with a heavy metalic thud. The train attendant's jaw dropped. Ash and his friends gasped, "Tesla!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried.

"Axew!" Axew cried.

The group went silent, staring at where Tesla once sat as the turbulence continued to blow around them. People and Pokémon who saw Tesla leap off panicked, one girl cried, "No, the poor Pikachu!" Ash shook his head. Horrified as he was, he had to admit. That was pretty funny. That Mouse Pokémon could take in a lot of abuse and live to tell the tale. But he wasn't sure about this, getting a face full of metal from a sudden stop could kill. Tesla needed help, he was old and his bones was laced with arthritis. What was even wrong with him, anyway? Why was he talking like that, acting like an immature child? That wasn't like him.

"Can you stop the train!?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"Pika Pika!?" Pikachu asked.

The train attendant shook his head, "This train won't stop for anything. All I could do is place a call to the Unovan police and pick Tesla up, they'll take him to the nearest Pokémon Center. The closest one happened to be in Dixie. Say, you're heading over to that town?"

"Yes." said Ash.

"Well, kid. If you stumble into that Pikachu, find out what his problem was. A Pikachu his age with a medical condition shouldn't be a loose cannon like that," the train attendant ran a hand through his hair, "Damn, I never seen anything like that before. A talking Pikachu jumping off a train, my wife won't believe this."

The train attendant left toward the front of the train. As Ash's friends head back inside, he pointed Snivy's Poké ball at her. She turned to face him, the Grass Snake Pokémon wasn't thrilled at what happened either, "Snivy," Ash commanded, "return."

A red beam shot at Snivy and was reabsorbed into the Poké ball. Ash shrunk the Poké ball and clipped it back onto his belt, then rejoined his friends in the passenger car, "I hope Tesla's okay." he said to his Pikachu.

"Pika." Pikachu muttered.

**. . .**

A throbbing ache pound inside Tesla's head. He let out a moan as consciousness came too. When he opened his eyes, blue sky greeted him. He felt his head, something was wet. Tesla looked at his hand and saw it was caked with blood. Strange, how did that happen? Tesla sat up, his chest and belly ached. He looked up and noticed a large sign in front of him,

**WELCOME TO THE DIXIE**

**POPULATION: 150**

A massive dent took up part of the sign, vaguely shaped like a Pikachu. With tail and all . . . Oh, now he remembered. He jumped off a train and hit the damn sign like a cartoon character on TV. Tesla laughed, then yelped. His recent injury, a broken rib that barely healed, stabbed him with pain. Tesla stood up and felt blood trickle down his forehead. The old Pikachu felt his head and looked at his hand, his fingers were painted red. His forehead started throbbing with gradual pain, making it difficult to think.

"Why did I do that?" Tesla asked himself.

_Because you're drunk, you old fart! _swore an ominous voice inside his head.

"Old fart?"

_Yeah, you heard yourself. _

"Damn."

_Start moving you bastard, day's wasting. The police are coming to get you. Ugh, again._

"How do you know?"

_They always do._

Tesla nodded, "Okay then, the town should be . . ." he spun around and pointed off toward some trees, "That-a-way, I think."

_Get away from the railroad, Tez. They're coming._

"Okay, okay . . . I'm moving."

Tesla put pressure on the gash on his head and walked off towards Dixie, bumbling and singing a tune along the way.

**. . .**

Business in the isolated town went on as usual. Small stores opened and pedestrians walked in to browse their wares. A street cop whistled a tune as he strolled down the sidewalk, passing by tight alleys around fast food restaurants. He peaked around for any sign of the Dixierats. Often at times they would come out from Dixieland National Park in search for food. Those hungry things. The Dixierats were notorious for digging into the trash, digging up all kinds of scrap food. They make a big mess as they eat, entire alleys would be covered with trash after an eating period. Usually they come in groups of three and five, breathing in garbage like no tomorrow. Sometimes there would be loners that would come around. They were less of a concern since they don't make as much mess as the groups. Lone Dixierats often walk around town, sniffing trash cans. When they find one full of scrap food, they climb right in and start eating.

To combat this problem, all organic and natural waste was separated from trash. They dump them all in green trash cans and dumpsters, all marked with a lightning bolt. The idea was the Dixierats would investigate them and find a good cache of scrap food, then they associate the green cans and lightning bolt as a storage for food. The idea worked. The Dixierats started eating out of those cans and ignoring the main trash bins. Only two problems with the cans, one was that sometimes people throw away in the wrong bin. Confusing the Dixierats. The second problem was when they go empty. The Dixierats would complain, some would search the regular trash again for any food. Others decided to break into homes and help themselves to people's pantries. When that happens, the police would come in and remove them. Since the Dixierats were feral Mice Pokémon, half-tamed in most cases, they don't put up a struggle. The police often pick them up with their bare hands and chuck them outside. But to be on the safe measure, they wore rubber gloves while handling them.

The street cop continued down his patrol, passing by a green trash can in the process. When the cop passed, the can stirred, and a Dixierat poked its head out. A young Pikachu climbed. His arms and legs were rubber, wobbling as he struggled to get his balance. His belly stuffed with garbage, the Pikachu planned to sleep it off once he got back to the park.

The Dixierat mumbled and cooed as he strolled down the alley, he head out into the street and strolled down the sidewalk. People looked on, wondering if he was up to something mischievous. But he wasn't, he was just passing through. A girl stopped and adored him. The Dixierat smiled and cooed as she petted his head. The mother stepped in and grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her away into a store. The Dixierat sighed and moved on.

He strolled down the sidewalk, sniffed at anything that caught his curiosity. He looked both ways at the street, then scampered across. The Dixierat looked at everything and anything. He had all the time of the world to do something, often Dixierats couldn't find anything to do. So they usually spend a lot of their time laying around, sleeping as such. This Dixierat was a little explorer, he always explore the town for anything new. He knew every street cop by name and travel route, know every trash can locations, escape routes in town, special safe zones to lay row after stirring up trouble. The Dixierat knew them all, and he always update his knowledge. Those who were too scared to venture out rely on him, give him their trust. He couldn't let them down, it would ruin his reputation and pride. Since he had nothing better to do, he took the moment to get a refresh from the town. He might not be able to later.

As the Dixierat passed through another alley, he spotted another Pikachu. Oh, it was the elder Pikachu. A first generation Dixierat. The old fart was in bad shape, always had been for decades. Missing an eye and hand, arthritis attacking his joints, old injuries healed into grotesque positions. The old Pikachu was in the world of hurt. He limped along slowly on all fours, staring straight out with a face of dispair.

The Dixierat stopped and watched the uncle past by. Just as he was about to walk out of the alley, the elder Pikachu glanced at the Dixierat. He stopped. His good eye got a fix on him. It was heartbreaking. The elder almost never talked to anybody. Any human who comes his way, he cries. Nobody knows why he cries when interacted. Some say it was a defense reaction, others say he was voicing his feelings. Maybe it was just habit, didn't really meant it. But nobody knows. Nobody will ever know.

Five minutes went by, the young and old Dixierats stared each other in vague silence. The younger one finally stood up on his hind legs, and asked, _"__You need any help?"_

The old Pikachu was silent, he just stared at the Dixierat for a few more seconds before turning around and heading back the way he came.

"_I could help, you know."_

The elder Pikachu kept walking, this time holding his head low, dragging his battered and chewed up tail behind him, _Pour uncle, _the Dixierat thought, _how long had he suffered like this?_

The Dixierat left him be. The uncle could take care of himself, albeit barely. The youngster looked on and watched him vanish turning a corner. The Dixierat got down on all fours and strolled off, sniffing any object along the way.

**. . .**

"That would be 150 Pokédollars, sir." said the clerk lady.

A young man in his late teens handed her the money and picked up the ice cream bars and coke. A Plusle and Minun stood behind him, their eyes glazing, barely containing their drool. The Emolga sitting on his shoulder couldn't help it either, it clutched the side of the teen's head as he nod, "Thank you."

"Have a nice day." the clerk said.

Mark Kissinger stepped out of the store and sat down at the curb, then handed his Pokémon the ice cream bars, "Here you go girls," said Mark, "I know you've been begging for them a while now."

"Emolga!" Emolga cheered, she jumped on Mark's lap and he handed her an ice cream bar.

"Plu!" Plusle cheered when she got hers.

"Min!" Minun cheered as well.

The Pokémon pulled off the wrapping and bit into the ice cream sandwiches, Mark popped the coke bottle's cap and sipped it. The shade from a thick spruce tree covered him and most of the road, the thick temperate climate was nice today. The weatherman said that it might stay around 20 degrees Centigrade for the next few days until the thunderstorm. For now, clear skies 24 hours a day.

Mark looked around him, he didn't see much. One of few Dixie's convenience stores sat in the outskirts of town. Well within the town limits, though it don't felt like it. More like a store was dropped in the middle of a forest. He took another sip of his coke, it was cold and strong, just what he liked on a nice day with his Pokémon.

Officially, Mark was a Unovan citizen, but technically speaking, he was from an island well far off from the mainland. Faraday Island they called it, known for being a rebellious province. Mark had no interest in politics, it didn't faze him that his island was part of something politically bigger. The Island's nonsense proved too much for him, things went hairy since its famous Pikachu left Faraday Island for maybe the final time. Good for him. That old Pikachu's been a close friend and a detriment to his family for generations. Yes, generations, literally generations! Mark chuckled, amazing his dad forgave the piss ball for all the hard time he caused in his childhood. Back then the old Pikachu was grumpy and mean, now ripe with old age, he'd cooled to a nice demeanor. But doesn't mean he stopped being an ass.

"Old fart," Mark thought out loud, he sipped his cola and groaned, "I can't believe I'm tracking Tesla down. Can't you believe it guys? We're following him because one, he's well associated with my family, and two, we have nothing better to do than to sit on our asses and stare at the TV all day. No wonder my dad didn't object when I told him I'm heading to the mainland to look around."

"Emo?" the Sky Squirrel asked.

"It didn't take much persuasion, Emolga. He probably considered kicking me out of the house for a while," Mark took another sip of his cola, "I'm eighteen now, old enough to own a house. Not old enough to drink though. Screw you, Unova. So long as I'm living under my dad's roof, I'm under his rules," Mark snickered, "Like he had any rules, ironic for having a cop as a father."

Mark stroke Emolga's ears and scratched her back. Emolga held her head back, her mouth gaping open in awe revealing half melted ice cream and pulverized brown cookie bread, "You like Tesla?" he asked his Pokémon.

Emolga nodded vigorously, "Em!"

"Even _after_ he fried your tail with a Thunderbolt?"

She nodded again, "Em."

Mark snickered, "Well, that's what happened when anyone tries to battle him. He fries your ass till it melts into the asphalt. I bet he had the intention of killing you," he looked back out into the forest, nearby birds sang their songs as the wind blew gently against his hair, "I wonder what world he lived in before he came to Faraday Island all those years ago."

Plusle and Minun crawled up on his lap and rubbed their heads against Mark's shirt, he sat down his coke and scratched their ears and back. They laughed and giggled as he scratched the hard to reach places, "I see you finished your ice cream bars already."

The Cheering Pokémon nodded, "Plu/ Min!"

"Okay," said Mark, "We're going to poke around town to see if they know any secrets. There's a reason why train tickets to this place are priceless, they don't want us here. Not _us _Unovan citizens!" he snickered, then propped up a boot, "Damn my feet ached in hiking through that forest, tickets outta here are remarkably cheap. I'm not hiking outta this town through the brush."

Emolga giggled.

"Hey, I'm the one doing all the walking here. I might as well have you walk from the ocean to here. Come on, let's see if there's anything in town we could find to help get some word about the forest."

Mark finished his coke and tossed it in the recycling bin, Emolga hopped on his shoulder as he carried Plusle and Minun on top of his backpack. He stretched his arms and legs and head down the road, it was wide and empty. Nobody coming through as far as he could see.

"This road's deserted," Mark noted, "either because it's still morning or I'm just a city boy."

He head off down the road towards town, leaving the lone store behind him.

**TO BE CONTINUED. . .**


	3. Chapter 2

******DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 2_

"You okay there, coz?" Ray asks.

Bruiser looked up at his cousin, his droopy eyes struggled to stay open as he looked at him, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The Raichu took another swig of his beer and burped, then drifted off again. He sighed, his morning was more dull than the last. He didn't have many friends, just his brother Pika and his cousin, Rayovac. Ray was an unusual character, had been for a long time. Quite old, yet not a frail as one might expect.

He called himself a "Rikachu, the Mutant Mouse Pokémon." He looked like the combination of a Pichu, a Pikachu, and a Raichu, all wrapped up in one package. Patches of his fur were orange and white, a black stripe coated his collar. The tip of his lightning bolt tail was black. His round cheeks had a red-orange color. His ears were like a Pikachus, except they had black spikes on them like a Pichu and the tips curled back like a Raichu. Ray had 5 fingers on his right hand, the other hand was just a stub, nothing but a palm covered with black fur. His feet looked like a Raichu, no special features added to it.

Ray was slightly larger than a Raichu, and more stronger. Three times as strong than all Mice Pokémon combined, Rayovac can knock almost anyone on their rear end with a single headbutt. His electrical attacks dazzling as they were deadly, pumping out 300,000 volts of light with serious amperage. He could take on a whole group of Pokémon slightly bigger than him with no problem.

As powerful Rayovac was, he did had a major weakness.

"How's the schizophrenia, Ray?" Bruiser asked.

"Not as bad as yesterday," said Ray, "I think it's becoming under control."

Bruiser snickered, "You always say that."

"Well, this time I know it."

"Uh huh."

Ray and Bruiser took another swig of their beers and looked out towards town, they watch as people go back and forth from home to work. As they always done everyday. The cousins often come out to town and sit on a log, watching people pass on the street as they drink beer. Unlike most Mice Pokémon, they both can speak human. Bruiser can alternate back to Pokémon words. For Ray however, he couldn't. He was born mute until he "evolved." Human language was the only language he could ever speak.

The cousins sat and watched the humans as they walked by. None of them took notice of them. The Mice Pokémon sat at an area of the forest well shrouded with trees, enough foliage to break up their outline, and enough space for visibility. Somehow watching humans in their daily activities was more interesting than watching their own species in their activities. There was something about humanity that made them stand out, made them break away from Pokémon in the beginning. What made them conquer the world.

Rayovac might know of something about this. Bruiser didn't bother asking him, he had no interest in history and reality. He took another sip of his beer and finished it, then tossed aside the bottle. Hm, to come to think of it, he never had any interest in anything. Not ever since that incident in the ditch where he found-

_ Don't think about it, Bruiser_, he told himself, _It's all history, doesn't concern you anymore._

Though deep down, it still does.

Ray flinched and looked up at the sky, his eyes flashing at something. Bruiser looked up, nothing there.

_Poor Ray and his schizophrenia,_ Bruiser thought, _I wonder if there's ever going to be a cure_.

Ray held up his beer bottle and emptied its contents into his belly, then chucked it aside, "I wish we can go somewhere," he said, "I wanna see a world beyond Dixie, I wanna know something. Learn something. I don't wanna spend all my time here with the Dixierats."

"I could hardly tolerate them," said Bruiser, "They're so nuts, I can't believe we're related to them."

"Don't get your tail in a knot, Bruiser. They're family, we take care of each other no matter what."

Bruiser snickered, "Yeah, and we have a funny way of doing it."

Ray jumped off the log and looked out past the foilage, "I'll be damned," he said, "my eyes had seen many things but few things they seen are real."

Bruiser got up and walked over to Ray, "What is it, Big Lug?"

Ray pointed towards the road, "Look's like a pure bred."

Bruiser looked out, his eyes widened. A raven hair boy with a hat walked down the street with a green haired kid and a girl with large hair. On the boy's shoulders sat a Pikachu, apparently a young and healthy one. They walked down the road, passing several folk as they head towards the Pokémon Center, "A Pikachu not related to us?" Bruiser asked.

"He doesn't have the marks," said Ray, "so he's no Dixierat. I bet he doesn't even smell like one."

Ray turned and face Bruiser, "You know what this means?"

"What?" Bruiser asked.

"Our family might be saved, a healthy generation of Pichus. I can see it now, the Dixierats will continue on living for many years to come!"

"Wait," said Bruiser, "I don't think that Pikachu's going to breed with our females. He looks a little too young. Heck, his trainer's a kid for Ho-Oh's sake, I bet he still has his innocence!"

"Doesn't matter," said Ray, "I'm going to follow him around, see what the boy does. When I know just enough about them, I'm going to see what I could do to earn their trust."

"You're not going to snatch the kid's Pikachu, are you?"

"If he refuse my offer of course, I'm not taking no for an answer. Our family needs a fresh set of genes, or else there might not be another generation."

Bruiser shrugged, "Okay then, I'm going to find my pack and spread the news. You do what you need to do, just don't get your ass caught by a damn Poké ball."

Ray chuckled, "No Poké ball can hold me."

Before Bruiser could criticize that statement, Rayovac took off. He sighed and watched the Mutant Mouse Pokémon ran off into the back alleys, he was pretty fast for a big Mouse Pokémon. Bruiser stretched his stubby arms and loosened his joints, then turned around back home, "That idiot savant," Bruiser swore to himself as he walk off, "I could never win an argument with him."

**. . .**

"Everybody's looking at you, Ash." said Iris.

"Axew." Axew muttered.

"They always do." said Ash.

"They don't look curious this time."

Iris was right, the locals weren't curious, they were cautious. They wonder what he and his friends were going to do. Not everyday a boy with a Pikachu showed up in an isolated town where everybody knows everybody. Ash kept walking, trying to ignore the stares. He past by a store where several folks got a good close up view of him, "I don't think that Pikachu's a Dixierat," Ash heard a voice whispered to someone, "looks too mature."

Ash looked around the town, all the buildings seemed old. The buildings were more solid and bulky, built mostly outta brick. The cement binding the bricks together was cracked and deteriorated in some parts of buildings. Ash could see signs of patchwork done on most of them. They were all well maintained, despite their age. Though it had been a while since anything updated.

The Pokémon Center loomed ahead. It looked a little more modern, yet it was old as the other buildings. Noticeably more cleaner, the tan plaster sidings made the building look more newer than it actually was. The windows were large, yet bleached and cracked. Ash hadn't seen that in a Pokémon Center before, cracked windows should be replaced. How come nobody fixed them yet?

"That should be the Pokémon Center." said Ash.

"Pikachu." Pikachu noted.

The group walked inside. Fresh air met Ash's nose. The inside of the Pokémon Center felt older than it should. The floor was oak wood, heavily stained to give it a chocolate color. The walls were plastered white, it looked like they were painted more than once. The lights were ancient, brand new LED bulbs were screwed into ancient lamp fixtures in the ceiling and floor lamps. These lamps were rusted, the brass plating wrinkled and cracked. The floor lamps shades were yellowing and bleaching, completing their antique looks. The reception desk in front had a wooden counter top, so well polished that it shined.

In front of the reception desk, the Nurse Joy was cuddling a Pokémon. Her back was turned toward Ash. In her arms was Tesla, Ash jumped, a bit surprise to find the old Pikachu here. His fur looked like it was recently washed. A big gauze band-aid was taped to his head, a blood spot stained the middle of it.

"Oh it was horrible," Tesla whined, "I fell off a tree and hurt myself, it was bad!"

"You poor thing." said Nurse Joy, he stroke Tesla's head and rubbed his ears. He laid still in her arms, barely moving.

"It happened so fast, the wind pushed me down. It . . . it . . ."

Tesla started whimpering, it wasn't a full blown cry but it was enough to touch Nurse Joy's heart. She held him up to her shoulder and gave him a big hug, "There there," Nurse Joy said, "It'll be all better soon."

As Nurse Joy rocked Tesla side to side, he looked up and saw Ash and the group. The old Pikachu cracked a smile and stuck his thumb up. His rotten teeth and the silly pose made him look like a hillbilly.

Tesla resumed whimpering. Nurse Joy took him to the lobby. An old and battered couch sat before a small CRT TV. The TV was lined with wood imitation sidings that was peeling away, an analog converter box sat on top, plugged into the back where the antenna used to go. A VCR was hooked up to the TV, which was plugged into an ancient video-game console. Nurse Joy sat Tesla on the couch, he curled into the fetal position and rested. She then turned to Ash, her eyes quickly shifted towards Pikachu, "Another Pikachu?" she asked in a childish tone.

"He's my first Pokémon," said Ash, "My name's Ash Ketchum! I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. These are my friends, Cilan, Iris, and Axew."

"Hello." said Cilan.

"Hi." said Iris.

"Axew." Axew cooed.

Nurse Joy nodded, "Are there a lot of Pikachus over there?"

"They mostly stick around Viridian Forest. Sometimes they travel in packs, most of the time they travel alone."

"Are you an expert?"

Ash was lost, "An expert?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"An expert of the Mouse Pokémon."

"Why?"

Nurse Joy gulped, "Oh, I thought you might know how to handle these Pikachus. Either that or . . ." her voice trailed off for a moment before she changed the subject, "You need anything, Ash?"

"I'm looking for someone named Andy," said Ash, "He's a Pokémon doctor who lives somewhere around here."

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded.

"He lives in the forest, deep within Dixie National Park. If I were you, I'd be careful around him. He has a particular obsession with the Dixierats."

"Dixerats?" Ash asked.

Nurse Joy's eyes went big, she made a quick glance around to see if anyone was watching. Then turned to Ash, "Look, this town has a secret, and we don't like to give it away. Since you own a Pikachu . . . I'll risk it."

Ash nodded, "Okay . . . so what is it?"

Cilan and Iris leaned forward, wanting to hear the secret.

"The Dixierats are Mice Pokémon. Pichus, Pikachus, and Raichus call it their home. They're all related, cousins and siblings. I don't know how Mice Pokémon in Kanto act, but the Dixierats," she coughed into her fist and glanced out the cracked window, "are a nightmare. We try our best to keep them out of town, since they make big messes and muck up the place. But its hard to work around their appetite, they _love _to eat out of the garbage. Their appetites are so huge, they'll eat pretty much about anything. I'd stay clear from the Dixierats if you're going out into the forest. They'll jump you if they're in a large group."

Ash nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

Nurse Joy pointed out the window, "Head down the street and find a dirt road, it would lead you to the park. Look for a concrete bunker with windows and a giant Tesla coil next to it, that would be Andy's place.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." said Ash.

"Remember, Ash, even though the Dixierats are friendly in all, they love to get on your nerves."

Nurse Joy turned back to the couch, she was surprised to find it empty. Tesla was gone. Tiny feet scampered. Ash turned around just in time to see the front doors wide open, slowly closing themselves with loud creaking noises.

"Oh dear," Nurse Joy said, "he's gone!"

**. . .**

Rayovac saw him running out of the Pokémon Center and escaping into the forest, the Mutant Mouse Pokémon sat inside a trash can and watched as he vanished into the forest. Ray wasn't sure what he saw was real, or it was his imagination again. No, it couldn't be. It was real. He was real. This Pikachu wearing goggles was real. He moved like a Dixierat, even had the look of a Dixierat. But Ray hadn't seen him before, never in his life and absolutely _not _in his dreams. So in reality, there were _two _foreign Pikachus and not _one_. Rayovac smiled, it couldn't get any better and better.

The raven-haired kid and his friends stepped out of the Pokémon Center and head down the road, Rayovac sat quietly and watched. He picked up a half-finished sandwich someone threw out and started eating it, he was hungry. Spying always makes him hungry.

The outsiders turned off into a dirt road leading into the forest. That road leads to Doc's place, Rayovac wondered if he was in the mood for any visitors today. No way to tell, Doc was always busy. So busy that the Dixierats love to give him a hard time. Heck, nobody ever visited Doc. Sometimes Nurse Joy for Pokémon things, but not the Dixie town denizens. They all left him alone. Why would they leave him alone? Doc had skills that would make him invaluable to the town, surgery and what not. He done all he can for the town, made his contribution. Even volunteer to help seal the town's roads with trees.

Rayovac awed. Trees, lovely trees. He wish he heard trees talk instead of the annoying blast of fireworks.

A cluster of bright neon lights exploded above, Rayovac dropped and covered his head. The loud booms of the fireworks echoed in his head, thundering with unbearable agony. It was over as fast as it lasted. Rayovac peaked out of the trash can, no sign of any fireworks residue anywhere. Of course there wasn't any sign of fireworks, it wasn't real. And that was a problem.

"I gotta follow that kid," Rayovac thought out loud, he began to climb out of the trash can, "I gotta follow him! I must! I must! I-"

The trash can tilted, garbage spilled into the street as Rayovac tumbled out. He got back up to his feet and shook bits of trash off his fur, "Damn it." he swore to himself.

Ray took off after the kid, running as fast as he can.

**. . .**

Bruiser wasn't as excited as Ray, in fact, he wasn't excited at all. He held his head down as he walked back to his pack. Deep in the forest, he had to find food, fresh water, and avoid getting shot at everyday. He wasn't getting anywhere in this life, nowhere fast and nowhere better. Every time Bruiser found something for the better, things go wrong for him. When things go wrong, he gets the losing end. Bruiser sighed, he doubt this foreign Pikachu would make things better for his family. Then again, it won't make much of a difference. If he doesn't breed, then so be it. If he does, then he was simply just one Pikachu with a fresh set. The genes would get spread around for a healthier generation, give it a few decades and it would be reused over and over again like all other sets. The Pikachu's genes would make things better, but Bruiser knows how this would end.

Ever since that incident with the _thing_, Bruiser couldn't recognize himself. He felt more sensitive, more agitated. Physically stronger. Bruiser, being a fully-evolved Pokémon, was one of the few strongest Mice Pokémon the Dixierats would have to offer. The Dixierats relied on him to provide the brute force necessary so the Pichus and Pikachus could get out of trouble. If someone gets picked on, Bruiser provides big brother. He knocked some sense into a few rebellious Pikachus, and even other Raichus. Bruiser did his job without question and done it well. The Dixierats were proud of him for it.

And he hated it.

He recalled one incident where he got into an argument with a Pikachu, it was one of those conventional wisdom ideas where this would happen if this was done. Bruiser forgotten what the argument was about, but he remembered that it got outta hand. The debate heated to the point where steam shot out of his ears. Bruiser got so mad that he sucker punched the Pikachu in the jaw, knocking the sucker out, breaking its jaw in the process.

When he realized what he had just done, Bruiser was horrified. He panicked. Bruiser got the Pikachu to Doc in time and the broken jaw was treated it. The Pikachu let the incident go, but Bruiser couldn't. No, that incident connect to _the _incident. The _thing_ haunted Bruiser to this very day.

"Why does it have to happen?" Bruiser asked himself, he stretched out his arms and told the sky, "Things were fine before, I didn't need improvement."

His younger brother Pika was supportive through all these years.. Every few days, Pika comes by to comfort him. He made things feel better for a while, Bruiser was proud of that. His family loved him, helped kept his depression in check. Even when the worst of it comes around, when Bruiser breaks down crying, Pika stayed by his side and hold him. Pika was the best brother Bruiser ever had, he was gentle and caring. Bruiser was like him before the incident. Ever since _it _happened, he just wished he could be like him again.

His pack's territory was coming up. Bruiser held his head up and took a deep breath. He wondered what the reaction would be if they got news of a fresh breed was in town. The look on the ladies' faces would be priceless. That was something worth seeing.

Bruiser pulled aside some shrubs and stepped into his pack's meadow. He froze, he tried to scream but it caught in his throat. No, no not again. Not _again_! Things gone wrong again! Bruiser panicked. He had to tell Doc, tell him about this! The Raichu swore to himself, then covered his mouth. He realized the badmen could still be here, picking this place clean like scavengers. Bruiser turned back the way he came and ran, ran as fast as he could. His bi-petal feet wouldn't cut it, so he started running on all fours. It felt a little awkward since his arms were shorter, but faster nonetheless. Time wasn't exactly on his side, was it?

**. . .**

"Was that really Tesla," Cilan asked Ash, "was that him, Ash?"

Pikachu shifted on his shoulder as he answered, "It was him, no doubt about it."

"Why did he take off like that?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked.

"I don't know, Tesla's hard to read. Always was. We might as well ask him when we come across him."

A bird chirped up in the sky. Ash looked up, the heavy vegetation of the forest looked back down on him, "How did he beat us to the Pokémon Center anyway?" Cilan asked, "He jumped off a moving train, got hit in the face with a sign for crying out loud. We didn't see any emergency choppers and ambulances, they would've been all over that Pokémon Center if they brought him here."

"Which means he made it to the Pokémon Center on his own," said Ash, "I don't know how, but Tesla's resilient. He's going to keep surprising us till we stop seeing him."

"You have any idea where he ran off to?" Iris asked.

Ash turned to Iris, "For some reason, I got a feeling I don't wanna know."

The group continued walking for the next 20 minutes, every step deeper into the forest made the road fade a little. A few dandelions popped up here and there, along with some wild grass and shrubbery. It looked like the road had turned up and died, reclaimed by the forest. Ash noticed something on the ground, somewhere within the strands of grass. He crouched down, careful not to knock Pikachu over, "What is it, Ash?" Cilan asked.

In the dirt were tiny brown pebbles, no bigger a fingernail. They looked like tiny pills, its texture was rough and it gave off a horrid smell. Ash stood up and stepped around it, "We're heading in the right direction, we might be there soon."

Cilan stared at the brown pebbles and made a face, "Is it what I think it is?"

Ash nodded, "That's not all."

He made a quick glance around. Not to far away from the pile was charred earth, it looked like a tiny bolt of lightning struck it. The epicenter was no bigger than a coin, a tiny lump of coal rimmed with charred earth. Ash put his hand on it, still warm, probably just burnt around 5 or 10 minutes ago.

"This was done by a Pikachu," said Ash, "Any bigger and it would be a Raichu, any smaller and it would be a Pichu. Whatever Pikachu came around here found something and got interested in it, it used Thundershock, creating these scorch marks here."

"So you are a Pikachu expert." said Iris.

"Axew." Axew muttered.

Ash shook his head, "No, I learned it from my Pokédex back in Kanto."

A few seconds of silence past before they heard loud screaming. It sounded like someone was yelling at something, "Get off," the voice yelled, "Can you please get off!"

The group approached a small clearing. They were amazed. Before them was a bunker, like Nurse Joy had said it had windows. The windows had thick steel bars built over them. The bunker was painted earth brown with rough texture added to it. Grass surrounded the bunker. No flowers, lawn ornaments. Nothing. Next to the bunker was a Tesla coil, it stood twice the height of the bunker. It looked recently built, it was a simple pole surrounded by copper coils with a metal box at the bottom. A beach-ball size stainless steel ball adorned the tip, glistening off from the sun. Ash's eyes went big, the Tesla coil was magnificent as it was ginormous. He wondered what it was for.

Several Pikachus rested on the copper rings and the boxy base, sleeping off a hard day. A man in his late fifties swore at them below. His thick hair was graying and his skin was getting liver spots. Thin-rimmed glasses sat on his nose, ready to fall off. The old man wore a white lab coat over a black shirt and military camouflaged pants with black boots. His lab coat was dirty, maybe hadn't been washed in weeks. The pants was even worse, it looked like it had molded to his legs. His boots were worn in, scratched up and caked with mud.

Ash had seen a lot of weird people in his travels, but Andy – if it indeed was him – beat them all. He looked more of a back-country mad scientist than a Pokémon doctor. Ash got no closer than he had to, Cilan and Iris stepped back and watched Andy blow his stack.

"It is _not _a bench," Andy roared at the Pikachus, waving a fist at them, "this is thousands of pokédollars of expensive equipment!" he took a breath and lowered his voice, but his ears steamed harder, "Look, this is the 3rd time in a month! How many times do I have to tell you _not _to sit up there? Huh!?"

One Pikachu gave Andy an annoyed look, it sat back and held up its middle finger. Andy cringed, trying his best not to pull his hair, "Did you just flick me off!? Oh that does it, I'm going to turn this Tesla coil on and-"

"PIKA_CHU!"_

The Pikachu gave him a harsh Thundershock, Andy collapsed into a violent seizure. Ash and his friends gasped, his Pikachu awed in amazement, then jumped when he realized how deadly the Thundershock was.

"Pika Pika!" Ash's Mouse Pokémon cried out.

The Thunderbolt ceased. Andy laid on the ground with his arms and legs spread out, a fine layer of soot coated his skin and dirty clothes. His hair all puffed out into an electric afro. The Pikachus simply pointed and laughed at him for a few seconds, then climbed down from the Tesla coil and ran off into the woods. The Pikachu who Thundershocked Andy ran up to him and jumped, slamming his rear over Andy's face. Andy shot his arms up and thrashed the air as the Pikachu took off, couldn't bare to hold his laughter.

When the last Pikachu left, Andy sat up. He groaned. He took off his glasses and shook his hair to normal, then stood up. When he put them back on, he turned to the group and jumped, "Oh," he said, "sorry for you guys to see all that. It's been a rough morning for me already."

Andy brushed his lab coat off, getting most of the soot off, "So what can I help you with?"

Ash tried to figure out what to say, "Uh, are you Andy?"

"Yes," said Andy, "My name's Dr. Andrew Westinghouse, though everyone calls me Doc. I would shake your hand, but I'd been in the muck recently. Come inside, I'll have a quick shower, then we'll talk."

_ Hmm, _Ash thought to himself, _something seems familiar about Andy for some reason._

Doc lead Ash and the group inside his "house," inside was the living room. The concrete walls and ceiling were painted white, the floor was bare concrete. Well smoothed and poured. There were three couches surrounding an HDTV. What really took Ash's breath away were the walls. They were covered with posters and reference materials about all three Mice Pokémon. Quick bios of Pichus, Pikachus, and Raichus. Handwritten notes taped next to them. One poster looked like a diagram of a Pikachu, its belly and part of its face was split open to reveal the insides. The names and descriptions of several organs were marked and pointed out, explaining their function and unique abilities of a Pikachu. Ash noticed the stomach of the Pikachu looked large for its body, Nurse Joy did say the Dixierats were eating machines. Maybe that goes to _all _Mice Pokémon. Dixierat or not.

Sitting on the corner of the room was a Pikachu skeleton, carefully wired back together and put on display. It creeped Ash out, even Pikachu was creeped out. They turned away from it, pretending it wasn't there. Sitting on a shelf were several framed pictures. The pictures were family photos, Ash recognized Irvin Westinghouse and Tesla in some of them. In one picture, a man and a woman stood next to each other wearing formal clothes. A small nerdy kid stood between them, his bow tie was tight a little to tight to his neck and his glasses were big enough to cover half his face. The photographs looked old and faded, they told an ancient past before Ash was even born.

"I'll be right with you," said Doc, "give me a sec."

When Doc left the room, Ash approached the photos. He studied them carefully, hovering his eyes mostly around Irvin and Tesla's picture. When he was done, he sat back on the couch and relaxed, "Westinghouse," Ash said to no one in particular, "Andy's last name is Westinghouse, is he related to Irvin?"

"What did you find, Ash?" Cilan asked.

Ash shrugged, "I don't know what I found."

"Pika." Pikachu sighed.

Ash ran his fingers through his hair and told the ceiling, "I'll ask him about it when he comes back."

The group sat down on the couches, Pikachu and Axew got off their trainers shoulders and snuggled into their sides. The couch was soft, Ash could relax into it. He stroke Pikachu's ears and sat back, and waited. After 15 minutes, the door opened and Doc came out. He was dressed in a fresh lab coat, black shirt, and camouflaged pants. His boots were also clean, they looked like he had just put on a brand new pair. Doc went into the kitchen and came back with cola bottles, he handed one each to Ash's friend and sat a 6-pack of soda bottles on the coffee table. He popped open one for himself and sat down, "So what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Do you know of any tips to Pokémon battling," Ash asked, "I'd heard Pokémon Masters learned from you about it."

Doc held up a finger, "Correction, only _one _Pokémon Master ever used those tips. That would be my grandfather, Irvin Westinghouse. He passed down his knowledge to his son, which he passed down to me. To tell you the truth, those tips may be impossible for you to learn. I had taught many Pokémon trainers before you, a few came back and told me its impossible. So I told them: 'Change the way you view Pokémon,'" Andy took a sip of his cola and looked at Ash, "Now how come you look so familiar? I think I'd seen you on TV some time ago, or I thought I'd seen you on TV."

"I was going to ask you a similar question," said Ash, "My name's Ash Ketchum, I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto region."

"My name's Cilan, from Straton City." said Cilan.

"I'm Iris, from the Village of Dragons." said Iris.

"Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu cooed.

Doc slammed the butt of his cola bottle on the table, making a loud tap that made everyone jumped, "Now I remember," he said, "You were in Faraday City, you helped my grandfather's Pikachu get pardoned!"

Ash jumped, "Yes, I did. He couldn't thank me enough!"

"Now that comes to the question," said Doc, he pointed at Pikachu and asked, "Well, more like a statement. Let me guess," he gave it a moment before saying, "That Pikachu was your first Pokémon, he was aggressive to you at first but he befriended you once he had proof of your loyalty. I think you had him sent to the Pokémon Center because of it."

Ash's jaw dropped, "That exactly what just happened, I had to jump off a cliff to protect Pikachu from a bunch of Pidgeys . . . What made you guess?"

"He had it in his eyes, Ash," said Doc, "Tesla also had it in his eyes. I was born in Faraday City. During my childhood, I used to go over to my grandfather's house to play with his Pokémon. Tesla in particular."

"But he doesn't wanna be bothered with most of the time." Ash noted.

"Pika." nodded Pikachu.

Doc picked up his cola bottle and took a sip, "Yes, I know. But Tesla liked me almost instantly, and I don't have to use peanut butter. Though Tesla wasn't enthusiastic about it, he just walked up to me and I get to hold and pet him. But not rough, he loves it when I groom him. Now when Grandpa died, I attended the funeral. Tesla didn't even wanna look at me, or the body. He just kept his eyes to the ground, not even making a quick glance. That was the last time I ever saw Tesla, cause when I walked over the my grandfather's house the next day, he was gone. Not to mention all of Irvin's Pokémon.

"A week past, I gotten my Pokémon Doctor's degree. I was ready to leave the island to escape my grandfather's legacy. I heard about Dixie, it was isolated and quite suspicious from strangers. When I came here, the locals seem to trust me immediately because they knew I was Irvin's grandson. You know why?"

The group shook their heads.

"The Dixierats, of course. I took a liking to the Dixierats when I first laid eyes on them. I did my best to help out around the town, so I could build a home in Dixieland National Park. The denizens did a good job in keeping their secret. You can't find Dixie on any map, if it's ever on any map."

Ash took a sip of cola, the taste was strong and it hit his mouth like a brick, "So what did you found out about the Dixierats?" he asked.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked as well.

"Well," said Doc, "They're troublemakers. They eat a lot and poop a lot. That's what they are, little eating crapping machines. The Dixierats often come around to me, often for food or a bath. They love baths, they really love baths. I go out every few days to study them in their natural habitat, they sniff me out at times and they climb all over me. Its hard to work with a Pichu on my head."

Ash chuckled.

"Now," said Doc, "Did you know Tesla was in the breeding program?"

"Yes," said Ash, "he told me."

"Well, did he told you about his sweetheart?"

"He mentioned about her, but didn't gave much details. Just saying she was gone too soon and he was heartbroken about it."

Pikachu nodded, "Pika."

Doc stretched out his arms, like he was presenting something. In fact, he was, "Every single Dixierat could trace their ancestry to Tesla and his mate. What was her name? Polly, was it? Yes, her name was Polly. She's quite sweet and adorable. I have a picture of her."

Doc picked up a picture from a coffee table and showed it to the group. It showed a female Pikachu with droopy ears and a slightly extended nose. Her eyes were soft, relaxed. The smile was also soft, she looked happy and relieved in the picture.

"That's Polly?" Ash asked.

Doc nodded, "Yup," said Doc, "that's Polly."

"She looks so docile," said Cilan, "Is she friendly?"

"The sweetest thing you'll ever meet." said Doc.

He sat the picture back on the coffee table and looked at the group, "Tesla had a lot of children, he was that broody."

"He told me he had 140 children." said Ash.

Doc grinned, "Pikachus are very broody, you'll be surprised on how fast they multiply."

"Can you tell me the tips on how to become a Pokémon Master?"

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked as well.

"Hmm, I got a busy day today and tomorrow. If you can help me with a few things, I'll tell you the things you came all this way for."

Ash punched his fist into the air, "It's a deal!"

The front door popped open and Tesla walked through, he staggered into the bunker and stretched his arms and legs, "Are you guys talking damn stories about me again?" he asked, then he bragged, "Yes, I know. I'm that awesome."

Tesla climbed up on the couch, then jumped onto Doc's lap. He caught him in time and gave him a big hug, "Tesla!" he cried.

"Good to see you again, Andy," he cheered, "I missed you."

Doc squeezed Tesla's stomach, "You've gotten fat, it feels like it."

Tesla snickered, "Well, that's what happens with old age."

"You've been old since your twenties!" Doc demanded.

"Well to come to think of it, I had eaten a plate of hot pockets days ago."

Doc sat him on his lap and examined the bandage on his head, "What happened here, Tez?"

"I leaped off a train and took a sign to the face, gave it a big ass dent."

Doc's eyes widen, "Why?"

Tesla didn't answer right away, "I had a few too many."

The old Pikachu then hopped off of Doc and jumped on Ash's lap, Ash stared into Tesla's eye-goggles as the old Pikachu smiled, "Hi, Ash!"

Tesla's breath smelled strong with alcohol, Ash realized what Tesla meant by _a few too many_, "How you're doing, Tesla?" he asked.

"I got dinged up but I'll live, seen anything worth seeing?"

Ash stuck his thumb toward the front door, "That tower outside."

"Pika!" said Pikachu.

"You should've seen it when it was running during a thunderstorm," said Andy, "The lightshow was spectacular. I think it was three weeks ago, there was a big thunderstorm that unleashed a lot of lightning."

"How did it go?" Cilan asked.

"A great big lightning bolt shot up into the sky the moment I turned the Tesla coil on, the whole place was thick with ozone. I had to turn it off, the smell was overwhelming."

"Doc," a voice screamed, killing the mood, "Doc, help!"

Everyone turned towards the door, a Raichu ran inside and skid to a halt. He took a moment to catch his breath. When he held his head up, his eyes were bulging with shock. Doc got up and rushed over to the Raichu, he crouched and held up the Raichu's head, "What happened, Bruiser?"

"It's horrible, Doc," he cried, "it happened again!"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 3_

Bruiser blew his nose into a tissue as Doc stood by, the doctor stroked the Raichu's head in an attempt to calm him down. Ash stood there puzzled, _Another talking Pokémon? _He thought. Doc said that all the Dixierats were direct descendents of Tesla, so it made sense that the old Pikachu had passed down his ability to speak human to the Dixierats. Ash couldn't understand much about genetics, all he knew were Pokémon breeding and cloning. Not the works of how it was done. Ash made a mental note to look it up later.

"What happened, Bruiser?" Doc asked, "Talk to me!"

Bruiser looked up at Doc, his eyes bursting with tears, "_It _happened again."

Doc's jaw dropped. He stood up, the room went silent.

"Say again?" Doc asked for the third time.

Bruiser took a deep breath and exhaled, "Andy, they came again and rained mayhem! It was my pack this time! I stumbled into the aftermath . . . I just ran! I don't know when it happened and I don't know if my brother is alright," the Raichu dropped to his knees and sobbed, "They didn't stand a chance!"

"What's going on?" Tesla asked.

Doc ignored him, instead he turned to Ash and said, "I gotta take care of this, can you help take care of a few things in town. I got a list of things I need to get."

"Sure," said Ash, "I could get them for you."

"Pikachu!" cheered Pikachu.

The Pokémon doctor then turned to Tesla, "You come with me, I'll tell you everything you need to know along the way."

Tesla nodded, "As you say, Andy."

The old Pikachu got down and approached Bruiser, "Here, Buddy. Let me help."

Bruiser looked up and gasped, "A-are you . . . Tesla? _The _Tesla!?"

"The one and only." Tesla replied nonchalantly.

The Raichu gripped Tesla's hand and nodded, "Sir, I never thought I would live to meet you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Tesla frowned, "If your a fan of my work, I'm going to be pissed."

Bruiser shook his head, "No no no no, I mean – you see . . . I'm your grandson, my mama told me stories about you and Andy filled in the rest."

Tesla said nothing for a brief second, then sighed, "I figured the Mice Pokémon here are my grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Doc scribbled on a note and handed it to Ash along with a wad of cash, "Here," he said, "Here's a list I need and the money to cover the cost. If anyone asks, tell them I sent you. This should help you get acquainted in the process."

"Okay, Doc," said Ash, "I'll get it done."

Iris stepped up and asked, "May I ask what is _it_?"

Doc shook his head, "You don't need to know yet, it's too soon," then he asked, "Are you planning on sticking around for a few days?"

"Yes." the group said.

"Well, you can stay at my house. After some time, I'll tell you what's going on."

He walked back into the next room and came out with a shotgun. Ash froze, Iris and Cilan saved their breath as Doc head toward the door, "Okay, Bruiser. Lead the way."

Bruiser walked out as Doc followed him, Tesla looked up at Ash and said, "Do what he says, we can talk about this later."

Ash simply nodded, Tesla ran out the door leaving the group alone in the bunker. He got up and picked up Pikachu, then turned to his friends, "I don't know what to make of all this."

"Pika." Pikachu muttered.

"Whatever this is," said Cilan, "It's serious. Doc has too much on his plate, I don't wanna know what he has on it. Let's get his things and figure out what's going on here in Dixie."

"Did he just leave with a gun?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked.

"Yes," said Ash, "He did. I don't wanna know what it's for."

**. . .**

"Now what do you know," Ray talked to himself as he hid in the bushes, "the goggled-eye Pikachu just got acquainted with Doc."

The Pikachu walked with Doc and Bruiser into the forest. Ray wondered what the shotgun was for, he had a few ideas that may be realistic what it was for. Whatever it was, it was serious. Ray wasn't so concerned about it. It was Bruiser's problem. He was focused on that kid with the Pikachu. Several puffs of fireworks went off over his head. They were far away and faint, simply a rainbow twinkle in the sky. Ray laid quietly on his belly, staring at Doc's bunker waiting for them to come out.

The door opened and the raven-haired kid came out. Ray held his breath. The green-haired kid and the purple-haired girl came out next. Wow, that purple hair was long, really long. Was that Axew _sitting _in it? Yes, it was, and it was real. Ray watched the group head back down the dirt road towards town. When they disappeared from sight, Ray crawled out of the bushes and followed them.

He jogged 10 meters till they were back in sight, Ray paused and stared at their backs for 3 heartbeats, then crawled forward on his belly. He kept his distance, not wanting to spook them. Seeing a weird-looking Mouse Pokémon would might throw them off. He doesn't know enough about them yet. Ray wasn't sure how he was going to introduce himself. He could just stroll up and say hi. No, talking Pokémon were shocking enough. If he makes an approach, he might scare them. Worst case scenario, the humans might sic their Pokémon on him. He would have a battle on his hands. Ray was pretty strong, really strong and bulky. But these Pokémon seemed agile and quick, they would knock him on his ass and that would be it. Rayovac wondered if they would try to catch him...

That would be a new experience for him. No human tried to capture Ray with a Poké ball before. He had little experience with trainers, especially the younger ones on their journeys. He had always watch them as they passed by, but made no move to interact with them. Ray just left them alone and they head off to their destinations, with no trouble at all. He sighed. Besides Doc, Ray hadn't talked to other humans before. He knew the language, knew enough basic and advance vocab words to get his message across. But the thought of speaking to humans he doesn't _know _was as foreign as that kid's Pikachu. Well, maybe a time would come where he would speak with people. But not today. Not to imaginary ones, not to real ones. Nobody. No human at all.

When Ray got a little too far from the group, a bright red flash blew up in his face. Ray yelped and jumped back. Another star puff, a sky blue one, blasted behind him. Ray ran into the forest. Orange and yellow ones showered him from all sides, "Go away," he hissed, "Go away you fireworks!"

But the fireworks kept on coming, balls of light bearing all the colors of the rainbow surrounded him, flashing like police sirens and techno lights. Ray tried to run in a straight line, but a bit of fireworks blocked his way. He tried running in circles. That didn't work. Rayovac zig-zagged back to Doc's bunker but his foot got caught on some roots. He tripped and fell. The fireworks descend upon him. Ray covered his eyes and shivered as the popcorn noises bounced around in his head, "Go away," he cried, "Please, go away! You're not real! Just get out of my head and go away!"

The fireworks explosions slowed to a trickle until a few distant pops remain, then the forest went silent. Ray stood up on his hind legs and looked around. Nothing but trees and leafy shrubs, no sign of any sporadic wild fireworks.

"Whew," he said, "Nothing but real things with real lights, it's over."

He ran back to the road and glanced down it, no sign of the group. They were long gone. Rayovac looked up at the sky and screamed at the top of his lungs, "DAMN IT!"

**. . .**

"You hear that, Ash?" Cilan asked, "I thought I heard something."

"I didn't hear anything." said Ash, hearing nothing but the wind.

As the group walked down the dirt road, Ash glanced at the trees, wondering if something would pop out. He had a weird feeling that he was being watched. From past experience, he knew to trust his instincts. Someone was following him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Was it Team Rocket? Didn't feel like it. It was something different, something he didn't recognize. Ash shook it off, whatever it was, it would show up soon.

"When Doc pulled out that gun," Iris spoke, "it scared the bejeebers out of me. Ash, I'm not sure we should trust him. He's already loony enough. And that talking Raichu, I didn't expect another talking Pokémon besides Tesla."

"Axew." Axew added.

"Ash, what are we going to do?"

"Do what he tells us and learn more about him," said Ash, "I don't think we should leave just yet, this town made commuting almost impossible and there's no way of getting out fast."

"Pika." Pikachu added.

"Ash's right, Iris," said Cilan, "In fact, those Dixierats trusted Andy. That poor Raichu was so distraught, something tells me he had more on his mind than what's on the menu."

"Whatever it is," said Ash, "Doc doesn't want us knowing about it just yet."

Iris sighed, "I hope he's really a nice guy."

"Axew Ew." Axew nodded.

A hundred yammering voices started building up in the distances, they were a combination of hi-pitched squeals and laughter, something similar to a party. Just when the group past a break in the forest, they saw what was making the noises. A couple of dozen Pikachus sat among each other in a small clearing. Several Pichus played along while three Raichus stood nearby. The group stopped and stared at the herd of Mice Pokémon, the sight took their breath away.

"I never seen so many Pikachus before!" said Cilan

"Look," said Iris, "Are those Pichus, Ash?"

"Yes," said Ash, "I never seen three evolution types herded around each other before."

"Pika Pika!" said Pikachu.

One Dixierat Pikachu took notice of the group, then another. In a rough unison, all the Dixierats ceased talking. Every one of them turned their heads towards A at each other and wondered who was going to move first, "Guys," said Ash, "something's not right here."

Pikachu jumped down off of Ash's shoulder and approached the Dixierats, the forest remained dead silent. The Dixierats stared at him in curiosity, Pikachu stared back, a bit shocked to find his own kind in a foreign land.

Three Dixierat Pikachus approached him, the one in the middle walked up to him and sniffed his shoulder. He then stood up and looked down at Ash's Pikachu with a stern face, the Dixierat glanced at one of his buddies. His buddy gave him a nod. The Dixierat then turned back towards Pikachu and sat both hands on his shoulders...

...and gave him a quick headbutt, knocking him out cold.

The Dixierats took it as a signal and charged, Ash had no time to react. They all leaped and crash into the group, knocking them down. Axew fell out of Iris's hair and tumbled to the side. Cilan crashed on Iris, the Dixierats pinned him down with all their strength. Ash landed on his back, he saw nothing but yellow fur. The hundred voices of Pikachus and Pichus was deafening and the smell was sickening. Ash coughed, struggling to breathe. Every time he pushed some Pikachus away, more just popped up on him.

"Ash!" Cilan cried through the voices.

Ash felt the Dixierats pulling off his backpack. He shoved several of them aside and screamed, "Pikachu!"

_I'm losing my mind_, Ash thought, _my buddy is in a sea of Pikachus and I don't know which one __is him!_

With a clever eye, Ash found him. He laid disoriented as a bunch of Dixierats was pulling him away into the forest. Ash saw their tails, they had dents in them, _Females_, Ash thought, _they're female Pikachus trying to steal my best-friend_.

For some reason, this was amusing. However, there was no telling what kind of things they would do to his friend. Whatever it was he wasn't going to allow it. With all his strength, Ash plowed through the Dixierats. Several Pikachus and Pichus tumbled over and drop to the ground, he sprinted through the sea of Dixierats and shot out his hands. He dolphin-dived towards his Pikachu, squashing several Dixierats to the ground. Ash desperately crawled toward his best-friend, the female Pikachus got desperate and pulled him away. Several Dixierats regrouped and tried to bar Ash's way, one of the Raichus stepped in and charged at him with a sprint attack, hitting him with the force of a freight train. Ash let out a grunt as he tumbled onto his back. Now under control, Ash watched helplessly as the Dixierats dog-piled over him. Their combined weight pinned him down with such force, he couldn't move.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

Using all the strength he had, Ash erupted out from the Dixierat pile, they tumbled and flopped like rag dolls. Ash got up and sprinted again, taking big strides across the sea of Dixierats. He dolphin-dived on top of the group of female Dixierats. He quickly went through the tails. After pushing aside one indented tail after another, Ash found the boxy tip he was looking for. He traced it up to the body and grabbed him, his Pikachu was so glad to see him.

The female Pikachus threw a fit, some screamed, demanding to have them back. The rest pounded against Ash's side with their tiny fists, not really doing any harm. Ash held his Pikachu up to his chest, his familiar scent masking out the horrid stench of the Dixierats.

He managed to get back up to his feet and make his way back to his friends. Iris managed to retrieve Axew and was now holding him tight to his chest, the Dixierats surrounded her, giving her loving hugs and licking her. Iris's hair was a mess and her clothes were covered in muck, similar muck they saw on Doc when they first saw him. Caught between awe and horror, Iris and Axew sat there with eyes bulging out of their skulls. Cilan managed to scramble back to his feet, his vest was tattered and his bow tie was pulled off. He managed to break free from the main mass and stumbled back onto the road. The Dixierats had pulled off his backpack and were rummaging through it. During their travels, the group kept most of the food in Cilan's backpack. The Dixierats helped themselves, eating all the food they bought at the coast. Cilan's eyes went big, Ash hadn't seen eyes that big since the last time Pokémon ate their food.

"_NO_," cried Cilan, "they're eating all our food!"

One Dixierat helped himself to a whole apple pie, before it could dig into it Cilan shot a frantic hand towards its tail.

"Cilan," Ash cried, "Don't grab-"

Too late, Cilan yanked the Dixierat's tail. It squealed. Angry of being violated, the Dixierat bit him on the arm and clamped down. Cilan screamed and stumbled back, "Get him off! Get him off! Get him _off!_"

Cilan pulled as hard as he can, but the Dixierat won't let go. it hanged on, the bite so deep that it drew blood. Cilan swung it around, trying to throw it off. When that didn't work, Cilan tried smashing his fist into its back. That didn't work either, the Dixierat just hanged on.

Ash had enough, he grabbed Snivy, Oshawott, and Scraggy's Poké balls from his belt clip and held them high, "Snivy, Oshawott, Scraggy! Clear the Dixierats out!"

He tossed them, Snivy and Oshawott and Scraggy materialized in bright balls of light, then went to work.

Snivy stretched out her vines and shot one at the Dixierat biting Cilan, she wrapped it around the Dixierat's waste and squeezed hard. The Dixierat let go and Cilan tumbled backward. Snivy then swung the Dixierat and tossed him across the small clearing, it flew and smashed into a nearby tree. She then proceed to whip several Dixierats away from her trainer. Some got hit in the mouth, others in the stomach, one got whipped in the rear end. They flew back, tumbled, then ran off yelping into the forest.

"Snivy!" she barked at them.

Oshawott used Water Gun, the jet of water blasted the Dixierats back in one clean sweep. Several Pikachus and Pichus flew in the air and tumbled back to earth, they turned around and retreated, some with their tails literally between their legs. Oshawott didn't let up, he kept spewing a jet of water until most of the Dixierats cleared the area.

One Raichu charged with a sprint attack, Scraggy counter with a sprint attack of his own. The Shedding Pokémon overpowered the Raichu and knocked him back into his two buddies, they scrambled back to their feet and ran off with the rest of the others.

When the last of the Dixierats left, Ash held up Pikachu up to eye level, "Pikachu," he asked, "are you okay!?"

Pikachu nodded, "Pika!" he chirped.

He sat Pikachu on his shoulder and searched for his backpack. He found it unzipped, some of its contents spilled out. Ash quickly shoved it all back in and put on his backpack, then turned to Cilan, "You okay?"

Cilan gripped his arm, it was bleeding badly, "I need to get to the Pokémon Center!" he cried.

"_Pika_!" Pikachu cried in horror, he hadn't seen this much blood before.

Iris broke her trance and scrambled back to her feet, "Cilan!" she cried.

As Iris and Ash helped Cilan, Snivy gathered up Cilan and Iris's things and shoved them all back into their backpacks, respectively, then handed one of them to Scraggy. He put it on and pulled up his pelt, then nodded, "Scrag Scrag!"

"Sniv." said Snivy.

The group head off back to town as fast as they can, struggling hard to carry some of Cilan's weight the rest of the way.

**. . .**

_"__I'm sorry," _said the male, _"I . . . I just can't do it, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."_

The female Pikachu groaned. She laid on her back as the male hovered over, panting in sheer anxiety for the past 20 minutes. Being a nice girl, she gave him time. It wasn't like they were rushing it. He had taken interest in her, and she somewhat got interested in him. But no, it was not meant to be. The male simply panicked and got off of her, she sat up and gave him a disappointed look, _"You haven't done it before?" _she asked.

The male nodded shamefully, _"I'm sorry, I __can't do it. I just can't__."_

_ "Not everyone's always ready, friend. You just need a little more time."_

_ "I had enough time," _the male turned around and sighed, _"I gotta go, my __m__ama wants me back before it gets dark. See yeah."_

_ "Yeah," _the female said bluntly, _"bye."_

The male ran off, the female watched as he zig-zagged into the forest as he ran back to his pack. When he was out of earshot, the female sobbed. Another failed attempt at love. No Dixierat would give love her, not unconditional love, not fun love. Just no love at all. Her heart ached, she pressed her hand on her chest as she got up and walked off. Ever since she left her parents, the female Pikachu had wondered Dixie National Park, looking for a mate. She wanted to start an immediate family, maybe raise a few Pichus. The female searched for a year and got nowhere, love was just too hard to grasp. Not only she couldn't find that right male, she couldn't find one who _actually _loved her for who she was. She was sensitive and gentle, loving and caring, yet no other Dixierat would call her his mate.

She wandered off, crying to herself. _Real _love was hard to get in the Dixie, the female couldn't understand why the males wouldn't even give her fun love. They would all just look at her, uninterested. Even for those who were interested, they get cold feet and ran off, just like that recent male. Like all the males before him. The female leaned against a tree and cried to herself, the forest around her held its breath in utter silence. She was alone, again, after experiencing false hope.

_"Why won't anybody love me?" _she asked the sky.

After crying for five minutes, she wiped away her tears and sniffled. Maybe some day, someone would love and care for her. But not today. Another disappointment, yes. But there was still plenty of more fish in the sea. Life goes on, and the world keeps on spinning.

The female wandered through the forest and found a dirt road. It was barely used, weeds and grass were sprouting, a sign the forest was trying to reclaim it. These days the Dixierats used it to travel, it was a lot more efficient than trying to bushwhack through the forest. The female sighed, today this road was deserted of humans and Pokémon. No one to talk to. She shrugged, she was used to being alone.

She held up her foot over the road, just ready to step into it when a sharp voice knocked her off-balance, "EM!"

"Emolga," said a human voice, "Stop covering my eyes, girl. Your tail's getting up my nose!"

_"__Okay, Mark," _Emolga laughed.

The female Pikachu scrambled underneath some vegetation, she peaked out and watched a human walked by. He had amazing thick hair, thin flexible muscles. An Emolga sat on his shoulder as he carried a Plusle and Minun in his arms. The female's eyes went big, she stared and watched as the human as he walked by.

_Whoa_, the Pikachu thought, _who's he? I never seen him before._

She grabbed her chest, her heart was beating a gazillion kilometers a minute. It pounded in her chest with force she hadn't experienced before. The female Pikachu panted, she know what it was. Mark, that was his name? The female Pikachu couldn't help it, she glanced back at him and awed. She stood up, realizing something.

_I'm in love_, she thought, _I'm in love, and it's _real _love!_

The female Pikachu knew it had to be, it must be. Whoever this was, he doesn't seem local. He might be traveling here, seeing the sights. It looked like it. The Pikachu wanted to know where he's going, whoever this Mark was she doesn't want him to leave her sight.

She took a step, her foot pressed on a twig and snapped it.

Mark stopped and spun around, his eyes bulging open as he tighten his hold on his Pokémon. The female Pikachu ducked behind cover and held her breath.

"Who's there!?" Mark cried.

She watched as Mark drew a weapon, she froze. It was a tiny .22 pistol, she knew what it was because Doc had often shared his knowledge of firearms to the Dixierats. She didn't mean to spook him, she would come out and contrite but she was afraid he would shoot her. Even if he doesn't mean it, he seemed quite paranoid. Maybe he found out about the poachers who roam these woods, finding unsuspecting Dixierats to make a buck from.

_"What is it, Mark?" _Emolga asked.

"I don't know, Emolga," he said, "Twigs don't snap like that. We gotta go back to town, I think someone's following us."

He turned back down the road and ran, the female Pikachu shot out her arms and tried to call out. The cry got stuck in her throat, she watched grievously as Mark hurried down the road. Then he was gone, just like that. The female Pikachu sobbed, just when she found what she thought was potential love it was gone. Her heart ached, but it spoke. Yes, it told her it wasn't gone-gone. He was heading back to town, chances are he would be at the Pokémon Center since he had Pokémon on him. They were female, she could tell. She could also tell the relationship. Mice Pokémon are social creatures, and great sociologists given the proper training. The female Pikachu could tell that their relationship was more of a father/ daughter, not the boyfriend/ girlfriend kind. She might have a chance, all the female Pikachu had to do was follow him.

_Okay_, she thought to herself, _I gotta go find him, gotta find him and meet him. There's no other way._

The female Pikachu started down the road and followed Mark back towards town.

**. . .**

"This is a graveyard," said Doc, "I'm sorry, Bruiser."

Bruiser shook his head and sobbed, "They didn't stand a chance, my pack couldn't handle them!"

Tesla said nothing as he looked out over the sea of dead Pokémon. Bodies of poor Pichus, Pikachus, and Raichus lay mutilated. Blood and organs spilled everywhere, with their bodies riddled with bullet holes as big as a human fist. Most Dixierats had their tails and cheeks sheered off, it looked like it was done by a hunting knife, quite quick too. Tesla looked away, he had seen this before. A long time ago. He knew who could have done this kind of work.

"How common is this?" Tesla asked.

"Every few years or so," said Doc, "the poachers mostly stick with traps and net guns. Occasionally some would tranquillize the Dixierats and, literally, skin them for their hide. Then kill them."

Tesla growled, "Sick bastards."

"I can't handle this," said Bruiser, "I'd seen enough. Can I go back to the bunker and wait for you when you're done?"

"Yes, Bruiser," said Doc, "You did alright."

He nodded, "Thank you."

Bruiser took off back towards the bunker, Tesla watched the Raichu ran off into the distance and disappear from sight.

"Sorry you have to see this, Tesla," said Doc, "You couldn't have picked a better time."

"I don't know them." said Tesla.

"They're your own family, Tesla. The family you brought to the world."

Tesla said nothing.

"Tesla, are you alright?"

The old Pikachu shrugged, "Am I ever all right? Deep down I'm not. The family I knew is long gone, dead, maybe even buried. But the family I created," he glanced back out towards the field of slaughter, "I don't know what to make of this. I just don't feel much, I don't really know them besides seeing a bunch of them electrocute you back at the bunker."

"You haven't really changed, huh?"

"Andy, please. I've been poached before, I know what its like. I can tell you those who died here were the lucky ones, you don't wanna continue living when your thrown into something worst than the Netherworld."

Doc crouched down and sat his hand on Tesla's head, "You miss him, do you."

That was no question.

"You have no idea how glad I felt when he gave me a bed to sleep in."

Tesla looked back out towards the meadow and nod, "Let's look for survivors, or anything still moving."

"Careful, Tes," said Doc, "the poachers could still be out here."

Tesla and Doc searched the field for any survivors. They walked around the blood and core, it was still fresh. Red and glistening under the bright sun. After poking around the bodies and turning over a few corpses, they found nothing. Tesla looked down and noticed a Pichu, it was shot right in the back. The bullet had lodged itself there, tore up its insides. He picked up the Pichu and held it up. Its body was stiff, cold to the touch. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon looked like it was sleeping, Tesla brushed its head and laid it back down. Poor thing, nothing he could do but say a few kind words and move on.

As Doc wandered off to the left, Tesla went right towards the forest. In the forest were small Mice Pokémon nests. Burrows dug in and covered with dead leaves and mud. Many were dug open, revealing dead Pokémon riddled with bullet holes and stab wounds. The state of their bodies no different from those in the field. It was worst here, much worst. This was where Pokémon lived, and they were killed in their own homes. Tesla could imagine them screaming in terror as some asshole gut them open with a knife. There were probably electric attacks, sure. But there were ways to counter them. Few people realize if you detonate an EMP grenade in a cluster of electric-type Pokémon, you'll disorient them. They couldn't react much when a hunting knife gets sunk into their shoulder.

Tesla saw no signs of EMP grenades used, however. He didn't see any burns from recent electric attacks either, not even a sporadic Thunderbolt. The Dixierats didn't fight back, they just ran. They ran because they were scared, they didn't even gave a little resistance.

"Why didn't they fight back?" Tesla asked himself.

The old Mouse Pokémon noticed a burrow that was still intact, the poachers must had missed it. Tesla looked around, saw nobody there. Doc was someplace else around here, doing who knows what. He turned back to the burrow and made his approach, _"__Hello,"_ he called out in is Pokémon language and voice, _"__anyone home?"_

No answer.

Tesla squeezed into the burrow and looked inside, "Well, sh*t."

A female Pikachu laid dead in the burrow. Next to her was a Pichu egg, sitting upright and in good condition. The mother was facing toward the egg, Tesla could see what looked like dried tears on her cheeks. He sat down and shook his head, staring at the dried pool of blood before him. She died trying to protect her egg, and there was no one to take care of it. Tesla didn't feel anything, no empathy. Nothing but a reminder that he too lost his parents all those years ago, but losing them _before _you're even born? Tesla shook his head, that's just not right. He picked up the egg, it was warm to the touch. It was still alive and healthy, he could feel the Pichu's own life force beating inside the egg. Tesla hugged it. No, he doesn't want this egg to die here. He gotta get it to safety, before something comes along and snatch it.

"Tesla," he heard Doc called out, "You're there?"

Tesla climbed out of the burrow and saw Doc coming his way, the Pokémon Doctor saw the egg in Tesla's arms. His shoulders slackened, "Oh, sh*t."

"That's just about what I said," said Tesla, "The mother's in the burrow, bled to death. Can you bring her back to the bunker, I wanna bury her somewhere."

Doc nodded, "Yes, we could do that."

Tesla tighten his hold of the egg, "Okay," he said, "Grab her and let's go, I don't wanna spent another minute of this place."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 4_

Cilan had to take off his shirt and vest, blood had stained it when the Pikachu bit him. Nurse Joy worked hard. She cleaned the wound and stitched up the open wounds, after washing it with soap and water she bandaged it up with gauze and used medical tape to seal it in place, "There we go," she said, "You're lucky, there's all sorts of bacteria living in a Dixierat's mouth. They're scavengers, you know. They love to eat trash, they lose teeth because of it."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." he said as he got off the table.

She swat him over the head with a white t-shirt, "Ow," he cried, "what was that for!?"

"Those Dixierats are loaded with trouble. I told you and your friends that, have I not!?"

"Yes," Cilan said regrettably, "you did tell us."

Nurse Joy tossed him the t-shirt, "Here, I'll see if I can get some new clothes for you. Be careful in the meantime."

Cilan nodded and walked out of the office.

**. . .**

Ash watched him come out and rejoined him and Iris, Pikachu and Axew sat next to each other in a single chair. They looked sad, but they were glad Cilan was alright, "What was that back there," Cilan asked, "Why did they all jump us?"

"I don't know," said Ash, "I think they were waiting for someone to come along and raid them."

Cilan brushed a hand through his hair, "They took all our food, I'm just . . . urgh!"

Ash picked up Pikachu and brushed his head, "Are you okay, Pikachu?"

Pikachu patted a certain spot on his forehead, Ash placed his thumb against it. The area was hot and inflamed, buried under a small layer of fur. When he pressed down on it, Pikachu made a soft squeal.

"The Dixierat headbutted you hard," said Ash, he hugged Pikachu and rubbed his ears, "Why did he do that?"

"Pika." he shrugged.

"You poor thing."

Pikachu climbed back on Ash's shoulder and he got up, "Okay," he said, "we gotta get those things for Doc before we get back," Ash pulled out the list and read it, "It says here we could get all these things at the nearby store, we might need to buy a wheelbarrow while we're at it."

"Why?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked.

"It says here we need to."

"What's on the list, Ash?" Cilan asked.

Ash handed it to Cilan, "Mostly grocery shopping, though some of the things Doc wants is bubble bath soap, sponges, and Pokémon combs."

Cilan read the list a second time before handing it to Iris, "It looks like he's planning a big bath of some kind."

"I'm getting that thinking too," said Ash, "Okay, let's get this over with guys."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu chirped.

The gang left the Pokémon Center and headed downtown. Again the locals glance at them, more curiosity than suspicion this time. Ash ignored them and focused on that store. It wasn't that far, he could see it at the end of the street, "That should be the store there." he noted.

"Okay." Cilan acknowledged.

Several people ran pass the group, they stopped in front of a local restaurant. A small crowd was gathering, they all stayed two meters away from the restaurant door and windows like there was an invisible barrier blocking their way. They had cameras out, either to take photos or videotape the scene. It was a loud commotion, it caught the group's attention, "What's going on?" Ash thought aloud.

"Whatever it is," said Cilan, "they don't wanna go near the windows."

The group approached and made their way to the side of the crowd, they peered through the side of the crowd and squeezed through to get a good view. Their jaws dropped, "Well what do you know," said Ash sarcastically, "this pretty much made my day."

The restaurant was a buffet serving fresh made food, and it was stuffed – no, infested – with Dixierats. Pikachus and Pichus swarm the inside by the hundreds, eating all the food that was supposed to be served to people. They happily gorge themselves while dancing along and singing a tune, it was a Mice Pokémon party in there. Ash wanted to get a closer look through the windows, but went against it. At the entrance, two serious-looking Raichus guard the entrance. They warn people and Pokémon not to get close with a loud hiss while flashing their teeth. One guy got a little too close and the Raichus growled a stern warning. He backed off, putting a good deal of distance between them. The Raichus sat back down against the wall facing each other, dozing off.

"Where did they all come from?" Ash asked.

"They came in twenty minutes ago," said a guy wearing wilderness clothes, they were covered in dried mud from what looked like a recent hike through a river, "everyone ran out to the street when they swarmed in. Once everybody cleared the restaurant, the Dixierats set up shop and started eating whatever that is food. It's an infestation, Dixierats are complete scumbags in these wild states."

The man laid eyes on Pikachu, "Hey, son. Is that a Dixierat?"

Ash shook his head, "No, we're from Kanto."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu insisted.

The man just stared and nodded, "Well keep that Pikachu to yourself, the Dixierats would try to get a hold of him for their own selfish purposes," he turned back towards the restaurant, "Where in the world is Officer Jenny!? She's suppose to be here by now!"

A yellow stream of liquid started pouring from the sky and splattered near Ash's feet, he jumped back and looked up. A Dixierat Pikachu stood at the edge of the roof, his belly was bulging from a full meal and his eyes were going slack. This Mouse Pokémon must have sick humor, he held his tiny pee-pee and relieved himself in front of the crowd. Mothers covered their children's eyes. Teenagers laugh. The adults were flatly disgusted, they turned around and head back home or to their place of work. Ash and his friends stepped further back till they were in the middle of the street. The Dixierat giggled as he swayed urine everywhere, leaving wet streaks across the concrete.

"Gross!" yucked Iris.

"Axew!" Axew added.

Cilan stood there with a puzzled expression, "What kind of Pokémon are these Dixierats, why are they acting so . . ." He couldn't figure out the right word.

"Immature." Ash added.

"I think it's something else, Ash. Maturity and decency are two separate things entirely."

**. . .**

"Hello, what's this?"

Mark stood at the back of the crowd, he couldn't see what the front looks like but he could clearly see the Dixierat on the roof. It radiated stupidity, like it was asking for trouble. Mark looked around and noticed all eyes were focused towards the restaurant, _Perfect, _he thought, _time to stir up some trouble._

The way the Dixierat had propped himself on the roof was too tempting to resist, Mark wanted to throw something at him like a bottle on a carnival stand. He looked around and found a fruit stand, small red apples beautifully displayed in front of a farmer's market. With everybody distracted, nobody noticed Mark approach the stand. He went through the apples and picked out the smallest one, then returned to the restaurant. Emolga giggled, probably figured out what he was up to. Plusle and Minun just sat silently on his backpack, seemingly uninterested.

Mark took a second scan across the crowd for eyes in his direction. Again, he found none. Good. He stepped back and took careful aim at the Dixierat and through the apple like a rocket ball, then casually walked away a second later.

**. . .**

The Pikachu couldn't react in time. The apple struck him in the groin. Hard. It bounced off with an audible crack and fall to the sidewalk below. One of the Raichus picked it up and nibbled on it, he offered to share with the other Raichu but he simply shook his head no.

The Dixierat yelped and gripped his gonads, struggling to stay standing. The apple hurt a lot, must had hit a pressure point. Ash watched in silent sympathy as the Dixierat fell forward and fell on the sidewalk. Iris gasped, Cilan's eyes bulged. The poor Dixierat formed a puddle of his own urine as he laid moaning in pain, with fresh hot tears trailing down his face.

"Who threw that," Ash asked, "Guys, who threw that?"

"I don't know." said Cilan.

"Pika!" Pikachu insisted.

_I'm defending a Dixierat who tried to pee on me_. Ash humorously thought.

Ash looked around in the crowd, he didn't see anyone running off or trying to hide. Whoever it was had bailed out, probably knowing the backslash he would cause. Ash turned back towards the Dixierat, the poor thing sat up and stared at the Raichus. The Raichus stared back at him for a few seconds, then the glanced at each other and laughed. The Dixierat broke down crying, screaming loud with eyes raining tears. One of the Raichus, still laughing, got up and hugged his lesser Mouse Pokémon, the Pikachu buried his face into the Raichu's shoulder and muffled his cries. The larger Mouse Pokémon patted him on the back and whispered reassuring words into his ear, snickering occasionally.

Cilan grabbed his hair, trying to pull a few strands, "Something's not right guys. None of it's right. I don't know where to begin with this."

Down the road, a motorcycle sped around the corner towards the restaurant. It was Officer Jenny, the lights on her bike flashing and the sirens blaring. The Dixierats heard the incoming cop. Party's over. Dixierats started pouring out of the restaurant in a mass wave. Some went out the entrance, most went through the back. A few Dixierats were laying on the floor, their bellies stuffed with smiles on their faces. When they heard the sirens, they lazily scrambled on their feet and wobbled toward the back door. Several Dixierats tried to crash through the massive display windows like people in the movies. A tsunami of them jumped at the window. It held firm, it was just too strong for them. They bounced off of it like rubber balls, spilling onto the floor with outright stupidity. They scrambled back to their feet and went through the front door.

The Dixierats ran around the crowd, scrambling across the road to the back alleys where they would eventually run back into the forest. The Raichu comforting the hurt Pikachu gave him a piggy-back ride outta there. The other Raichu simply ran off, trying to save his own skin. Within a minute, the restaurant was cleared out. Ash peaked inside. All the food was gone, the silver trays licked clean. Poop was smeared all over the floor and walls, urine soaked the chairs and carpet. The smell alone was enough to keep people from investigating further.

"Let's go guys," said Ash, "We gotta-"

"Hold it right there!" Officer Jenny ordered.

The group froze, throwing up their hands, "Yes, Officer?" he asked.

The officer got off her bike and approached Ash, her eyes were blazing angry with steam snorting out her nose. Ash gulped, he hadn't seen an Officer Jenny look like that when his friend Brock almost got arrested, "It's illegal to own a Dixierat in town," she told Ash, "do you know that, kid?"

"Pikachu's not a Dixierat," Ash insisted, "We're both from the Kanto region, he's not associated-"

Officer Jenny held up a hand, "Save it, I heard your story too many times! Pokémon trainers always tried to take these Dixierats with them, that's against the law," she pointed at the wrecked restaurant, "On top of that, I had to deal with vandalism from them!"

"Pikachu's not a Dixierat, Officer Jenny," Cilan insisted, "He doesn't even smell like one!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu claim his innocence.

Officer Jenny groaned, "You know what, I have no time for this. We'll see if this Pikachu is indeed not a Dixierat back at the station. You five are under arrest."

Ash's blood froze, he almost faint. Officer Jenny slapped the handcuffs on him and his friends and shoved them towards the police station, which wasn't far from the Pokémon Center.

**. . .**

Tesla sat the Pichu egg on one of Doc's couches, then wrapped it up in blankets to keep it warm. Bruiser laid on his side on a separate couch, sobbing to himself. The old Pikachu sat down and watched the Raichu as he muttered unintelligible ramblings to himself, hugging a pillow cushion for comfort.

Poor thing, Tesla had seen so many Pokémon suffered that he lost count of them all. He had forgotten their faces, where it took place, and why. But he hadn't forgotten the act, never. Poor thing, his grandson was crying because he lost his pack. No telling where his brother was, he too could be dead or was still alive somewhere. The world thought that Pokémon always lived happily along side with humans. On the surface, yes. But there were always those who do evil, or whatever is evil. They capture Pokémon, abuse them, even use them. Tesla was disgusted at all the things a human being would selfishly do to small helpless Pokémon. They would stab, choke, bash them. The worst of it that they put their fingers in places where they shouldn't belong. Where they should never belong. The psychological damage was so deep that these Pokémon might never again feel true happiness.

Often poachers would kill Pokémon in front of their families, stabbing them with their blades and scooping up skin and organs. Their relatives would scream and cry, sometimes they would fall into deep shock. Tesla heard of a story where this cute little Pokémon, what species – he couldn't recall – watched its parents decapitated in front of it. That Pokémon was later locked inside a small steel box with the bodies of its parents inside, the poor thing screamed and screamed till it ran out of air and suffocated to death. Tesla had his bets on who done it. Team Rocket was his usual suspect. No other criminal organization who specializing the poaching of Pokémon for sale in the black market could ever be this cruel. Someone must had seen it, or heard about it. Tesla couldn't learn more about the story, since nobody would talk about it. Pretend it never happened. Well, they did a good job. Selfish bastards.

The world was suppose to be friendly, peaceful. But that was just a thin layer over the real thing, underneath was ugly and unpleasant. It doesn't take much to dig it up. According to conventional wisdom, only humans create evil. Sometimes Pokémon do evil things, but they might not even be evil. They were just doing what they were told. Tesla couldn't blame them there. He heard of few Pokémon who was capable of doing evil on their own free will, doing lustful deeds. Most cases they were brought up by humans to hate, to lust. Pokémon are victims of their own genes, the worst of humanity could manipulate them in ways that it would last a lifetime. However, they were rare, really rare. So rare that they weren't thought of as much. One such Pokémon was . . . what was his name, Mewtwo? A reincarnate of Mew? Tesla heard the stories about him when he and Irvin were at Team Rocket HQ, but never actually saw him in person. Recently, some time back, Mewtwo went through the same abusive experience like any other Pokémon went through in that damn place, putting evil in him. So much for Giovanni's plans.

Then there was Nobark, that Scrafty with the shaking left arm. He was Tesla's best friend, one of a few Pokémon whoever understood him. Nobark was Irvin's only Pokémon he ever caught in the wild, which went against his personal rules of "commandeering" Pokémon eggs and raise them after hatching. Nobark was once a Scraggy, who later evolved in his later years. Though the physical changes were immense, Nobark hadn't changed mentally. His multiple-personality disorder often played a rule with his judgment. His Parkinson's Disease really slowed him down a lot. Old age and heavy drinking created chemical imbalances in his brain. It got to a point where radical ideas started brooding in it.

Tesla closed his eyes. Yes, he remembered now. Nobark took the idea that all Pokémon should be free from human control and be equal to them, and turned it into something sinister. He would talk about his dreams, on which he slaughtered the "master" race and "liberate" the Pokémon from their cages. Those rusty cages. A part of Tesla, regrettably, agreed with him. However he knew it wasn't going to work, the old Pikachu told Nobark that he should leave that job to the microbes. They were the best mass killers the world ever created. Nobark didn't listen, he couldn't wait. It was amazing that he hadn't killed anybody at all during his time with Irvin. Tesla wondered where Nobark ran off too after Irvin's passing. Back to the Unovan mainland? Committed suicide? Who knows? The poor fellow was lost, his own emotions had enslaved him, turning him into some sort of monster. Tesla wondered if he ever had committed evil, excluding all the grocery store robberies for beer during those "certain" Friday nights.

Tesla chuckled, those nights were worth remembering.

"Bruiser," Tesla called out, "What's wrong?"

Bruiser sat up and looked at him, then took a deep breath, "What's wrong? What's _wrong_!? Bad things keep happening to me, that's what's wrong! Just when things were looking up for me, something foul comes in and ruins everything!" he wiped away a tear with a stubby hand, "Tesla, Grandpa . . . I don't know what to do, my life was fine before. I don't understand why everything was going wrong! First it was this, then that..."

Tesla got up from his couch and sat next to Bruiser, he placed a hand on the Raichu's shoulder and said, "Bruiser, tell me. What happened?"

Bruiser looked up at him and sighed, "I evolved. I changed . . . I was out foraging for food when I slipped and fell into a ditch. There was a Thunderstone at the bottom, I landed on it. There was a flash, and," he held up his hands, "I noticed my fingers were gone."

"Wait a minute," said Tesla, "You're in a deep depression because you evolved from a Pikachu to a Raichu?"

Bruiser nodded, "Yes."

"But something else must had played a role, Raichus tend to be more aggressive and powerful."

"I learned that the hard way. Everytime I get into a debate or a fight, I find myself with a temper I didn't know I had. I hurted them, I hurted my fellow cousins. My own family . . . I think I almost killed some of them."

Bruiser covered his eyes and cried, Tesla grabbed a nearby tissue box and handed it to him. The Raichu pulled out a few sheets and blew his nose, then tossed it on the floor, "I've . . . I've become a monster. I just couldn't handle the guilt and pain. I took up drinking, cause it helps me escape my torment. At least for a while."

"Bruiser," said Tesla, "we're all monsters. In fact, we've been called Pocket Monsters once upon a time. That shortened to Pokémon, sometime before my time."

"Where did you learn that?"

"Library, I read books."

Bruiser snickered, "You can read?"

"And write, why?"

"I only know one cousin of mine who can read and write, and he should be put in a cage and studied by white coat geeks."

Tesla could tell Bruiser's mood dramatically improved, he wondered what he could do to improve it further, "Your cousin?"

"Yeah, his name is Rayovac, named after that cheap battery brand. I just call him Ray, since it's more practical."

"Who is Ray?" Tesla asked.

Bruiser shook his head, "Hard to explain, imagine fusing every Mouse Pokémon species into one Pokémon. Enough said."

Tesla imagined it, what he got was a big mutant freak, "What Pokémon does he call himself?"

"A Rikachu, the Mutant Mouse Pokémon."

"I think the name fits him."

The front door opened and Doc stepped on through, carrying a dirty shovel on one of his shoulders, "I buried her deep," said Doc, "that way the scavengers won't dig her up."

"Thank you." was all Tesla could say.

Doc went into the kitchen and washed the shovel in his sink, then he carried it back into the next room. After putting it away, Doc sat down on the couch with Tesla, "What are you planning to do with the egg?"

"I'm going to take care of the Pichu when it hatches," said Tesla, "I'm going to raise it the best I can."

"You have any experience in parenting?"

Tesla looked at Doc, "I had fathered a hundred Pichus."

"But did you ever raise any of them?"

Tesla frowned, "Andy, I never even met my children because they barred me from them. I never got the chance to be a father, it was hard for me and..."

Tesla paused for a moment, then looked down and sighed, "Her."

"Polly?"

"I miss her, Andy," said Tesla, "she's the only mate I would ever love."

"What happened to her?" Bruiser asked.

"Breeders took her away from me when they no longer needed me," said Tesla, "I wanted to take her home back with me and Irvin, she really wanted to go. When she was denied, she cried. I cried. It was like losing my family all over again."

"Look on the bright side," said Doc, "All these Dixierats came directly from you and her, a little bit of Polly is in every one of them. She ain't totally gone, Tez. Maybe someday, you'll find her again."

"Yeah, in the grave probably."

Sometime around Tesla's thirties and forties, Irvin signed him up for the breeding program. The idea was to build up a new family by having children. Irvin hadn't anticipated that he wouldn't get to see the Pichus he breathed life into. Let alone see his mate again. Tesla remembered how he used to cuddle with Polly. They would rub noses, give each other Pokémon versions of kisses, then get straight down to business – which the Pokémon breeders wanted them to do all along. Tesla get to hold the first Pichu egg Polly ever laid, he remembered how warm and fresh it felt. The colorful shell throbbed by the Pichu's heartbeat. It was his first child, Tesla could never forget that moment.

He couldn't understand why they had to take the egg away from him at the heat of the moment.

Some years past and he and Polly produced children. They "did" the whole thing inside a closed warm room, very private, with soft blankets and pillows. It was dark, to help "surprise" each other when getting started. Well, those days it was fun, or it used to be fun. They both knew they loved each other for who they were, understood each other. Polly told him a little bit of her background. Like him, she came from the wild. The difference was she was on her own, she left her parents weeks ago. The breeder showed up out of nowhere, battled her, and caught her with a Poké ball. Tesla was the first Pikachu she ever met in the breeding program. Sometime the next day, the breeders want them to "speed it up," cause they were taking too long. Tesla was furious, Polly told him they might not have as much time as they used to. But Tesla, being Tesla, had an idea. He first had Polly lay on her back, something she rarely does while in their little moments. Then he got on top of her but turned so his head was near her legs, then he "put her money where his mouth is."

And Polly loved it.

"Any hope of seeing Polly again?" Bruiser asked.

Tesla shook his head, "No, that was a long time ago. I knew I wasn't going to see her again. I was depressed for weeks, I didn't eat, or speak to anybody. I was heartbroken. Irvin's other Pokémon tried to comfort me, and I let them. I was deep in my hole, but I didn't wanna spend all my time in it. Eventually I got over it, and I never mated ever again."

"So how did you have children with seven other Pikachus?" Doc asked.

"Artificial insemination, occasionally a breeder – always a different breeder – would call Irvin and want a sample, cause of my reputation of being an unbeatable. Remembered seeing those Liquid Nitrogen canisters in the back closet."

Doc nodded, "I always wondered what they were for."

Tesla smiled, "Well, now you know."

The old Pikachu got up and stretched his legs, "At least all that _work _paid off, maybe I could get to know the Dixierats a little bit more. Establish some sort of relationship, cause they came from my children. Children I had with Polly."

"That's a good idea," said Doc, "They all know you cause of your Pokémon battling days. They think highly of you, view you as a legend. They believe in you."

Tesla shook his head, "I wish they don't."

"Tesla."

"Doc, I never asked to be a celebrity. I don't them to think of me as somebody they saw from a television set from a display window of a store, I want them to think of me as their relative, as a regular family member. In order to do that, I'm going to find a herd and poke around with their minds. Get to know them and see what kind of damage the breeders had done to them."

"Find Rayovac," said Bruiser, "he's an example of the worst the breeders done to us."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Tesla turned back to Doc, "Can you watch the egg for the time being, make sure nobody touches it?"

"I'll keep it safe, Tez," said Doc, "Be careful out there, those poachers . . ."

"I'm used to getting shot at, Andy, and I won't hesitate to cook them with a Thunderbolt."

Doc nodded, "So it's true you've killed people, that period after Irvin died."

"I don't regret it either, they were idiots and amateurs. Irvin trained me to kill, not to battle. He ever told you that?"

Doc shook his head, "No."

"Well, that was his secret on why I never lost a Pokémon battle. My secret isn't so much of a secret, because of my _unusual _electrical abilities."

"Had you ever killed somebody you ever cared about?" Bruiser asked.

Tesla looked at him, "Yes, but indirectly. It was Irvin, he died from a heart problem that I exaggerated over the years, I vent my anger by shocking him. He knows it would lead up to it, I read his diary. He had written it down. I just wondered why he never confronted me about it."

The old Mouse Pokémon turned towards the door and left, Tesla closed it behind him and took a deep breath of fresh air. He caught the whiff of the Dixierats' scent, it smelled awful. Tesla wondered if they like to smear each other with their own sh*t. Are they used to being dirty? He and his family back in Kanto never smelled this bad. Well, at least it would help him track down a herd. Assuming the wind doesn't blow as hard as it should. Tesla got on all-fours and ran off, the scent trail leading the way.

**. . .**

700 kilometers west of Dixie, the two jet streams that blow over Unova shifted. Every few months, the jet streams change position. The meteorologists say that it was due to temperature changes from the seasons. Sometimes it was caused by too much humidity, other times its caused by the intensity of the sun. The Jet streams distant themselves over the center of Unova, barometer levels record a drop in air pressure.

Multiple things began to happen. A cold front began pushing south from the mountains, warm moist air pushed up from the coast over Nimbasa City. Guided by the jet streams, they meet around the vacuum zone. The cold dry front slammed into the warm moist front like bumper cars in a carnival, they bumped into each other, trying to fuse. The jet streams squeezed them tight, increasing barometer levels. The increased pressure caused an overabundance clouds to form, the skies over the center of the region went from white to gray. Light rains began to form. People in the forest got a good shower of much needed rain. Plant life blossomed, parched Pokémon get a much needed drink.

The jet streams picked up strength, squeezing the cold and warm fronts tighter. Pressure builds. Rain precipitation increased. Flash flooding began to occur. The two opposing fronts struggle to over claim the other. Satellites from above observed the building clouds, they fired radio waves at the clouds to get a reading.

The cold front dipped over the warm front, the warm front slipped underneath its opposite like a snake in the grass. The jet streams compressed them together until one front squeezed underneath the other. Once underneath, the warm front pressed into the bottom of the cold front, violent winds swirled up moisture to form bigger clouds. These clouds grew large and black, building into a massive storm. The meteorologists noticed the storms increased intensity, a thunderstorm watch was issued for Eastern Unova. The local communities took note and started preparing, in case the storm comes over their area.

According to Mother Nature's design, all forces must be balance. The fronts were having a hard time canceling out the other. It wasn't efficient, air couldn't circulate properly and energy couldn't be transferred. The storm grew so large that the planet's rotation provide the answer. It grabbed the storm and spun it counter-clockwise. The spinning caused the erratic winds to curl into a spiral. Instead of compressing each other, the fronts found away to equalize and spun into a vortex. It was more efficient than compressing into each other, there was hole for air to flow to help equalize the pressures. Warm moist air flow upward into the cold front, the moisture got it into the cold front and froze into tiny ice crystals. The ice crystals were spun to almost race car speeds. They ground against each other, building up a static charge. The charge grew until it searched for a way to ground itself. It found that way, below a windmill spun mercilessly against the storm's intense wind. It too build up a charge, but it was opposite of the charge in the storm. The charge of the storm met the charge of the windmill, and canceled each other out in a powerful purple thunderbolt.

The windmill exploded in bright powerful plasma, unable to take the excess energy. More thunderbolts crashed down nearby, the storm struggled to equalize the building charges. Reports of the powerful thunderbolts had meteorologist upgrade the storm to severe. They pulled out a map and located the center of the storm, then trace its potential path.

Unknown to them, the town of Dixie was dead center in the thunderstorm's path. It wasn't on the map, the meteorologists didn't put out a warning directly to the town but placed warnings in Dixie's more populace neighbors. The Unova Weather Service indicated the severe thunderstorm was the most powerful storm to date.

The last time such a storm was recorded was 30 years ago, on the day the train that carried the Dixierats derailed and set them free.

**TO BE CONTINUED. . .**


	6. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 5_

Ash sat in the cell with Iris, Cilan, and Axew. All their things and Pokémon were confiscated, and Pikachu was taken to have a DNA check. The jail had white cinderblock walls and a smooth concrete floor. There were 7 other cells, all empty. Ash and his friends occupy the 8th one. Officer Jenny instructed them to sit and wait, then took Pikachu to the Pokémon Center to see if he was a Dixierat or not. Ash laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while life in the town drone on outside their window.

They sat in silence, simply waiting for something to happen. Ash thought about saying something, but went against it. No one was in the mood to communicate. He closed his eyes and thought what would happen if Officer Jenny come back. Pikachu would be some place else, probably dumped into the forest with the mercy of the Dixierats. Course, he was no Dixierat. The DNA test would prove it. If, instead, the test came back as positive, would he stay locked up? He hoped not. Ash wasn't sure how he was going to explain his mom, his story won't make any sense. Who's going to believe that Pikachu was mistaken to be a Dixierat because he showed up in a place where Mice Pokémon secretly roam. It was a secret, and it will stay a secret. Ash would find himself sent to jail for poaching, and Pikachu would find himself stuck in Dixie. No telling what would happen to Iris and Cilan, they just so happened to be there and arrested.

Ash heard the cell door buzz, he looked up and saw Officer Jenny opening it. She held up Pikachu to him, Ash took his Mouse Pokémon and hugged him, "Pikachu!"

"Pika Pi!" he sobbed.

"The DNA test came back negative," said Officer Joy, "Sorry, kid. Town laws."

"What's going to happen now?" Ash asked worriedly.

Officer Jenny noticed the tone of his voice, "Sorry, kid. I had a rough morning today, the Dixierats were all over the place. Just seeing your Pikachu back there just sent me over the edge."

"Are they that much trouble?" Cilan asked.

"Technically, yeah. They're pests, that's what they are. I'm called in once a week to clear out the Dixierats, and they _love _to get on my nerves."

Officer Jenny led the group back out to the police station's lobby, their backpacks and Poké balls were sitting on the table. "I haven't seen you around here before," said Officer Jenny, "Why are you here?"

"We came to see Andy," said Ash, "after meeting him we agreed to get him a few things from town."

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded.

Officer Jenny smiled, "Doing work for him, are you? Well, good luck. Andy Westinghouse is a mad scientist, I had to jail him one night because his Tesla coil blew out the town's only transformer. It was lights out for three weeks," Jenny turned back to the reception desk and sat back down, "Well, you can leave now. I hope I didn't cause too much trouble for you."

"It was a circus when we got here." said Cilan.

"Always is for foreigners, we don't want anybody coming in because they risk exposing our little secret. The town prides itself for those Dixierats, I can't believe we put up with them after the amount of damage they cause."

Officer Jenny went back to paperwork, the group said no more and left the police station. They gotten as far as 5 meters before Ash said, "What is Andy not telling us?"

"He's keeping something from us," said Cilan, "the town is doing its best to keep the Dixierats a secret. And that talking Raichu who ran into the bunker crying, had something to do with it."

"Let's get his groceries and bubble bath and head on back," said Iris, "My feet are getting tired from walking around here all day."

"Axew." Axew groaned.

**. . .**

_Well_, Tesla thought, _I think I found them_.

They were a disappointment. He found a small herd of Mice Pokémon not far from Doc's bunker. Several Pichus were playing around with each other, the Pikachus were either taking naps – or mating. Tesla had to look away, the sight of his own family members _mating _in the presence of their children was outrageous. They had no discretion, the Pichus' innocence was probably gone a little too early. A few sat and watched as the male rested on the back of the female, resting after a few minutes of work. Tesla shook his head. He remembered back in Kanto that any quality time done was around night-time, where nobody was watching. However, it doesn't look like privacy exist here. Tesla wondered how was he going to interact with them, their behavior told him it might be difficult. Nurse Joy was right, the Dixierats were really that bad.

Well, how bad were they? Only one way to find out.

Tesla stepped out of the bushes and approached the Dixierats, he walked on his hind legs. Maybe standing up would show some dominance or something. The Dixierats took notice of him and stopped what they were doing, they all stared at Tesla and he stared back. Just two meters of space separated them. The old Pikachu could already tell what they were thinking. Who is this Pikachu wearing goggles? How come I hadn't seen him before? Where did he come from? The Dixierats heard stories about him ever since they were born, Tesla thought about exploiting that.

One Dixierat approached Tesla, he crawled up to him then stand on his hind legs, "Pika Pika Pi Ka?" he asked. _Who are you?_

_ "Are you the Dixierats?" _Tesla asked in his Pokémon language.

The Dixierats nodded.

Then Tesla spoke in human, "Well, I'm Tesla Westinghouse. Your founding father."

There was a moment of silence.

_"It's true," _one of the Dixierat's cried, _"The stories are true!"_

"Kid," said Tesla, "I'm your great-grandfather, I'm a hundred and seven years old and I had been around long enough to know those stories are exaggerations of the real thing. Probably made up by fans who watched me on TV."

_"So what really happened?" _another Dixierat asked.

"I'll tell you some other time, right now I just wanna see what the breeding program done to you guys," he turned to the two Pikachus who were mating earlier, "And I think I'd seen enough."

Without warning something hit Tesla in the back, he fell forward and hit the ground. He turned around, just in time to see a burly Raichu leaping on top of him, smiling with his tongue hanging out.

_What in the world? _Tesla thought.

Tesla rolled to the left and the Raichu plopped on the ground, the old Pikachu scrambled back to his feet and jumped back. The Dixierats scrambled to the edge of the clearing and sat back to watch, "Raichu Rai," said the Raichu, "Raichu Rai." _Come on, let's see what you're made of_.

_A lot of fat and muscle_, Tesla thought but didn't say. He nodded and took a step back, it looked like he had to fight another Pokémon battle.

Tesla remembered the last time he ever battled a Raichu legitimately, it was back during Irvin's traveling days in Kanto. That Raichu was mean and big, well trained and disciplined. The fully-evolved Mouse Pokémon had put a lot of Pokémon in the Pokémon Center cause his strength was more powerful than it should. Tesla understood that Raichu well, often thought back at the battle. The Raichu was so overly-confident that he thought the battle was over before it begun. Why shouldn't he? Tesla was a Pikachu, biologically inferior to the Raichu in strength and stamina. The Raichu's trainer even thought it was a lost battle, but Irvin had a secret. Tesla was no ordinary Pikachu.

So when the battle happened, it was over in 5 minutes. Irvin had the Raichu land some blows on Tesla, just to see how powerful the Raichu really was. Two hits were enough. Tesla took it and wondered if he was going to get some broken bones from this? No, he shouldn't. He wasn't bending the rules in that match, so there shouldn't be an injuries. Irvin called down the hammer, and Tesla delivered. The Raichu had it coming, he figured out his weak spots. So every time Irvin commanded him to use a move, Tesla focused it on them. The Raichu was overwhelmed, he was defeated just like that.

And it was so bad that the Raichu was sent to the Pokémon Center.

Irvin got his badge, but he stuck around a little bit to see what's around. Tesla went on his own for a little bit to check up on the Raichu, he heard that the Raichu was still unconscious. The trainer wasn't there, but the Raichu was awake. Tesla got up on the bed and looked at the Raichu, the Raichu stared at him with soft eyes. His confidence was gone, and so was his strength. The Raichu held up his stubby hands, they were shaking and trembling. He claimed that he couldn't feel them, Tesla grabbed one and squeezed it. The Raichu claimed it was a prickling sensation.

_"Who are you," _the Raichu asked, _"what are you?"_

Tesla just looked at him and sighed, _"Someone who got his spirit broken."_

He left the Raichu after that. Tesla later heard that the Raichu couldn't battle again, the nerve damage was so great. The Raichu had some healing powder to try to cure it, but they had some effect. Enough to get the Raichu out of bed, not enough to bring back his confidence. A week later, the trainer woke up and found him missing. There was a note written on the wall, turns out the Raichu knew how to write. In big blocky letters, written in a black sharpy marker, read: "I'M SORRY"

The trainer called the police, they quickly picked up Raichu's trail. It lead to a nearby river, the Raichu was sitting on a branch crying. Below him was a two hundred meter waterfall, with big rocks at the bottom. A Pokémon Psychologist was called in, along with a negotiator. The police also brought in a Bulbasaur so they could pluck the Raichu off the branch while he's distracted.

The Raichu saw them coming he got on the branch and hanged on, things got tense. The Bulbasaur sat on the other side of the river, ready to grab the Raichu while the negotiator kept him distracted. Silly human words didn't do any good, the Raichu let go when the Bulbasaur's Vine Whip was half way across the river. The Raichu fell two hundred meters and landed in the rocks below, breaking every bone in his body. He was dead 50 times over.

To Tesla it was no surprise, when he learned what went down in the newspaper Irvin wondered if he had met the Raichu before. Because he seemed _familiar_. Irvin got fuzzy memory, he actually forgotten that he had battled the Raichu. Tesla didn't, he never forgotten a battle since he was the one doing most of the work. Now it was all ancient history, and later Raichus found a similar – yet kinder – fate.

Now the latest Raichu was one of Tesla's own relatives, a relative _he _brought to the world. For some reason, it didn't phase him. His great-grandson was no different from any other Raichu he battled before. Tesla didn't wanna battle, he had enough of battling. He was retired, how come the Dixierats didn't see that? His reputation had blinded him, of course. Well, who says he had to play by the rules?

"Your move." Tesla told the Raichu.

The Raichu charged, Tesla stood patiently. He had to time it just right, too soon and he gets clobbered. Same result if too late. The old Pikachu concentrated so hard, time slowed down. The adrenaline pumped through his system, his brain's efficiency jumped in an instant. The Raichu was soon up to his face, his hands sticking out from running.

Tesla grabbed one of the Raichu's stubby hands and used the Mouse Pokémon's momentum against him. The old Pikachu spun around and flipped, the Raichu went sky-high in the air and slammed on his back.

"Pikaaa." said the Dixierat Pikachus, amazed at Tesla's quick reaction.

The Raichu laid stunned, Tesla got back to his feet and wrapped an arm around the fully-evolved Pokémon's neck. The Raichu yelped, he kicked his legs as Tesla tightened his hold on him, "Youngin," he said, "Don't even think of battling me. I am old and I'm retired, I just don't wanna battle anymore. That's a life I wanna put behind me, so would you please don't get on my nerves."

Tesla released his grip and turned away, the Raichu gasped in air and relaxed, _"You don't look old," _he called out, _"or even feel old. How do you live for so long and kept your youth?"_

"I didn't," said Tesla, "Irvin did."

Tesla walked out of the clearing and made his way through the forest, leaving the Dixierats behind. He grumbled to himself, the Dixierats had no idea what he went through to get here. Had no idea how their ancestors suffered. They don't know. All they know was fan-based stories from a dead Pokémon Master. They were a disappointment, but he couldn't blame them. Something did something to them, make them all loony. But what was it? What was the cause? Something wasn't right, it doesn't make any sense. Tesla thought long and hard, figuring out the missing piece to the puzzle. Why were the Dixierats so immature?

_I should ask Doc about it_, Tesla thought, _something I should have done when I got there._

After bushwhacking in the forest for a few minutes, Tesla found Doc's dirt road. Just when he was about to step on it, Tesla's eyes lit up. He stopped his foot in time before it could smash the pile of Pikachu crap below it, "You gotta be kidding me," Tesla thought aloud, "they crapped on the road?"

Tesla stepped around it and stared at the feces for a moment, then laughed sarcastically, "Amazing, I'm complaining of crap the Dixierats do that I had done in the wild. Amazing, just freakin' amazing."

He lost interest in going back to Doc's house, he wasn't in the mood to see him. Hm, maybe all the beer he drank on the train was out of his system now. Tesla looked up at the sky, he could make out the sun through the trees. It was heading toward the horizon now, evening perhaps. Well, it must be two or three o' clock or something. His perfectly good morning, ruined by the Dixierats. Shame on them, shame on _him_. Tesla wondered what they would do in such a situation. Well, he had a perfectly good guess. He walked up to the pile of Pikachu crap and held up his thing, then peed on it. It came out dark yellow in a powerful stream, Tesla wondered when was the last time he drank water. Had to be yesterday. All he remembered drinking was beer. Well, its all out of his system now, and he hated being sober. Thinking all his problems that had gathered up over the years, first the lost of his immediate family and people bugging him because his reputation. Well _screw _them. Tesla didn't wanna spend another hundred years in grief, somehow he had to establish himself among the Dixierats. That may not be so hard in the short-term, but for the long-term, he had to make sure he made it clear on how he wanted to be treated. To them, it would be like telling a rock to move over by the river. The rock's not going to move, it's just a lump of compressed earth. So are the Dixierats, except their a compressed mixture of bad genes and habits.

Tesla had some bad habits on his own, he drinks every time he got a hold of beer, ever since he was exposed to the stuff sometime when Irvin started bringing in new Pokémon. The alcohol helped take the bad thoughts away, giving him a moment of piece. But that left him irritant and angry, it was amazing he hadn't lashed out on his friends. Hm, they did get on his nerves at times. But how could he blame them? They were young, he was middle-age at the time. All that beer he and Nobark used to steal at convenience stores so he and their buddies could get wasted on Friday-nights. Ah, yes. The then Scraggy would stuff beer bottles and six-packs in his pelt, it was so full of beer that he could barely walk. It always took a little longer to get home than getting to the store, but they made it back without trouble. At the time, the police wasn't so responsive then and burglar alarms were almost non-existent. Tesla enjoyed the freedom of doing mischievous things during those days, the fun he had with his friends and buddies in a swimming pool of beer. Assuming that everyone got enough beer into their system to get the buzz going.

Irvin never really questioned where his Pokémon got all that beer. He probably knew. Every time the Westinghouse Army had their little parties, there was talk the next day about the store burglaries. It was so easy to connect the two. Tesla wondered why Irvin allowed it anyway . . . Well, now that he thought of it, he let his Pokémon get away with a lot of things. He never really enforced discipline or anything, just trained them to be their best and be reliable when called upon. Whatever they do in their free-time, was no concern to him.

Tesla finished urinating on the piece of crap, _Why did I even do that? _He asked himself.

Habit, of course. He was born in the wild, originally a wild Pokémon. He treated a lot of things as a restroom. Outdoors was a public restroom, pee and poo everywhere. Tesla always wiped his rear against the grass, or go to a nearby river for such business...

_Hold on for a second_, Tesla told himself, _I may be on to something._

The Dixierats smell horrid, like really bad. They were dirty and their fur was greasy. When was the last time they ever bathed? Tesla wondered if they were used to being sticky. Well, aren't all wild Pokémon used to being covered in crap?

That was something to think about.

_Hmm, that's a question I'll ask Nurse Joy_, Tesla thought, _Assuming she could handle a talking Pokémon_.

It wasn't much of a shock the last time he encountered her, she was nice enough to stitch up the gash in his head. Probably talking made Nurse Joy feel sorry for him, sometimes voicing grief was better than acting it out. Though it was fake, really fake. Good thing she hadn't picked up on it. Then again, he was drunk. He wasn't really thinking. Well this time he was, and this time he was going in reasonably. Heck, it's a Pokémon Center. It's a rest area and a hospital for Pokémon, and they have soap.

"Screw it," Tesla thought aloud, "I'm tired of being in the wild for one day."

He head down the road towards down, he was there within seconds. Tesla took the back alleys and hid from view, he didn't wanna be seen. The locals might view him as a Dixierat, either he would be overly-adored by them or be shooed away. Tesla didn't wanna deal with them at the moment, just not now. Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but not now.

Seeing that the way was clear, Tesla strolled up to the Pokémon Center. He pushed through the doors and made his way inside, Nurse Joy sat at the reception desk doing paperwork, "Hello, again." Tesla called out.

She jumped, "Oh, it's you! I wonder when you'd be back!"

"Just visited an old friend, now I just wanna relax for now. I had a rough morning, but you probably already know of course."

"What do you need?" Nurse Joy asked.

"A shower, a toothbrush, and a bed to sleep in. Maybe a fresh bandage for my gash."

"Head down the hall and make a right, you'll find the showers in there."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy."

Just before Tesla strolled passed her, Nurse Joy added, "Are you a Dixierat?"

Tesla turned to her, "Would you believe that they could trace their ancestry directly to me? Cause my name is Tesla Westinghouse, Andy is my trainer's grandson."

"No way." said Nurse Joy.

"Maybe sometime later today, I'll tell you about it. Let you snuggle me even."

Nurse Joy laugh, "You're lucky you're adorable."

Tesla head to the showers and turned on the faucet. The shower ran cold, he managed to find some soap and scrubbed himself clean. When it went to hot, Tesla awed. He'd forgotten how civilized he became in human society. Born in the wild, yes. But his time with Irvin had built-in human creature comforts. It was a major difference between him and the Dixierats. He was civilized, they were not. That wasn't going to change anytime soon, it was something they should get used to. Assuming they care at all.

The old Pikachu shut off the shower and dried himself off with a towel, then grabbed a disposable toothbrush and added toothpaste to it. Tesla brushed his teeth, trying to save whatever enamel was left. Old age had rotten out his teeth, along with all that soda and crap he drank and ate during his time in Irvin. Amazing they hadn't hurt at all, or else he would be miserable. Tesla thought about getting dentures but went against it, he was on the move a lot and he didn't wanna spend time maintaining them. It would be a hassle, a hassle he couldn't afford. Might as well live with the set he had than having a set of false teeth.

After finishing brushing, Tesla tossed the toothbrush in the trash can and went to the nearby private quarters. The rows of beds greeted him. He hopped on one bed and pulled the covers over him. Tesla yawned, and napped his troubles away.

**. . .**

It took a while, but they got it. Ash and his friends managed to find the bubble bath soap and the groceries Doc had requested, they loaded it up into a wheelbarrow and paid for it at the counter. The clerk said nothing as she scanned the bar codes on the products, it was only when she was done that she asked, "Doc sent you?"

Ash nodded.

"Figures."

She told him the price, Ash pulled out the cash Doc gave to him and handed it to her. The clerk gave him change back and sent the group on its way. Ash pushed the wheelbarrow along the sidewalk as Cilan and Iris walked side by side, "Well," said Ash, "I think that's everything."

"I'm glad," said Cilan, "This day is already rough as it is."

"We should stop by at the Pokémon Center and restock on food," said Ash, "it shouldn't take us that long."

The group head back towards the Pokémon Center, when they got to the entrance they notice the wheelbarrow won't fit through the door. So they decide to leave it outside for the time being. When they walked in, Ash got a surprise. Mark Kissinger sat on the couch, Emolga was snuggled up to his side as he held Plusle and Minun in his hands, doing . . . uhh...

"You're so cute," Mark said in a mocked child's voice as he held up Minun, "You're so adorable."

"No," Mark added with a slightly modified child's voice as he held up Plusle, "You are so adorable!"

"No, you!"

"No, _you_!"

"Oh well, but I love you!"

"I love you too!"

Then Mark pressed Plusle and Minun's faces together, make it sound like they were kissing. Then pulled them apart and tapped their faces into each other, gently, "Mwa. Mwa. Mwa. Mwa. M-"

Mark stopped when he noticed Ash and his friends are looking, he momentarly looked at his Cheering Pokémon then glanced back at Ash, "Uhhh. Hi, Ash!"

"Mark," Ash asked, "Mark Kissinger, is that you!?"

Mark sat down Plusle and Minun on the couch, "Yeah, it's me," he turned to his Pokémon, "Look, guys. It's Ash!"

"Emolga!" Emolga cheered.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, he stuck out his hand intending to shake Emolga's. Instead, she pulled him in and gave him a big hug, even kissed him on the cheek, "Emo!" she chirped.

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

Plusle and Minun then jumped on Pikachu and climbed over him, jumping up and down overly excited, "Plusle!" Plusle chirped.

"Min!" Minun chirped.

Mark got up from the couch and stood up. Ash almost stepped back, realizing how tall Mark was, "Are these your friends you talked about, Ash?"

"Yup," said Ash, "These are Cilan and Iris."

"Hello." said Iris.

"Hi." said Cilan.

Mark shook their hands, "I suppose you met Tesla then," he said, "he's been around since my grandfather was a kid, that Pikachu's more than a hundred years old!"

"Whoa," said Cilan, "he doesn't look that old."

"Faraday Island stripped his blood from all his old cells, making him biologically young again. And he hate's it."

Mark noticed Cilan's bandaged arm, "What happened there?"

"Uh, a wild Pikachu bit me when-"

"You pulled him by the tail," said Mark, "the worst thing you could ever do when handling a Pikachu, did you sock it in the mouth?"

"Snivy grabbed him and tossed it all the way to the coast," said Ash, "Earlier today a herd of Dixierats – that's what the Pikachus and their evolutionary counterparts are called – jumped us and took all our food."

"Pika." Pikachu nodded.

"They almost made off with Pikachu, too."

"Why did they do that?" Mark asked.

"I don't know, but they seem to like him a little too much."

Mark glanced at Pikachu, "Well, he's that handsome. Look, even my Emolga likes him."

Emolga was still hugging Pikachu, with Plusle on his head and Minun on his back. The Mouse Pokémon was trying to figure out a way to break out of their grip, every time he tried to pull Emolga's arms off of him she gripped tighter, "Emolga," said Mark, "give him breathing space."

The shiny sprite Sky Squirrel Pokémon reluctantly let go of Pikachu, then turned back to Mark, "Em."

Mark picked her up and cradled her head, she buried her face into his shoulder and cooed, "Ash said you also have an Emolga," Mark said to Iris, "a normal sprite."

Iris nodded, "Yes."

"Well, can you call her out so my Emolga would meet her. Look, she hadn't met her own kind for who know's how long."

"Em." Emolga murmured.

"Well," said Iris, "why not."

Iris pulled out her Emolga's Poké ball and tossed it, "Come on, Emolga. Tell us what you think about this Emolga."

Iris's Emolga materialized before the group, the stepped back. When she was fully materialized, Mark's Emolga approached her. Immediately the differences were obvious. Iris's Emolga was a normal sprite, Mark's Emolga was a shiny. The two Emolgas looked at each other with curiosity. Iris's just sat there, wondering what to make of Mark's. Mark's Emolga approached Iris's Emolga, then gave her a firm hug, "Eemm." she cooed.

"Your Emolga likes my Emolga!" said Iris.

"Axew!" Axew chirped.

Mark snickered, "I don't think yours likes mine though, she has that 'what the heck' look on her face."

**. . .**

Tesla heard Ash's voice through the hall and the open door. Pikachu ears are very sensitive, they could hear a pin drop from a kilometer away given the right conditions. By instinct, Tesla woke up. His curiosity taking over. The old Pikachu jumped off the bed and crept down the hall, he poked his head around the corner and saw them. Ash and his friends were chatting to each other. Tesla frowned when he saw Mark here. He almost wished this was a dream, he was sure this was real. Oh, and there was Pikachu and Axew, playing with Plusle and Minun. Interestingly enough, Mark's Emolga was focused on another Emolga. This one a normal sprite, and obviously a pure bred. Mark's Emolga seem to like her, but that Emolga had trouble figuring out the other.

_Hmm_, Tesla thought, _how can I exploit that?_

Tesla looked around. Sure enough there was a small tray of big red apples, sitting on the reception desk. Nurse Joy wasn't there, probably off at a bathroom break. The old Pikachu checked to see if nobody was looking, then crept over behind the reception desk. He got on top of the desk and grabbed an apple, then jumped back down to the floor. He came around the edge of the desk and spied on the two Emolga's, they were so distracted with each other that they weren't aware of their trainers or anything else. Perfect. Tesla took the apple and tossed it, it discretely rolled across the floor and stopped near the Emolgas. It stopped upright, Tesla was impressed. That made it more appetizing for the Emolgas.

It didn't take long for them to take notice, they stared at the apple for a moment. Then looked at each other. Then they made a frantic dash for it but stopped before it, the two Emolgas looked at each other again, this time their eyes were squinted. Tesla chuckled, it looked lie a showdown was happening.

Someone came into the Pokémon Center, he wore a red-orange t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and some flip-flops. He was checking his camera when he noticed the Emolgas were circling around the apple, wondering who would get it first. The guy sat down at a chair leaned forward, his camera on and ready.

_Oh this is going to be interesting_. Tesla thought, a grin slowly streaking across his face.

**TO BE CONTINUED. . .**


	7. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 6_

"Hey guys," said Mark, "Look at what the Emolgas are doing."

Everyone turned to Mark's and Iris's Emolga. They encircled the apple like sharks, getting ready to pounce. They didn't look like they wanted to share, they wanted the apple all for themselves. The other Pokémon stopped what chatting and playing and turned their attention to them, they didn't step in to intervene or anything. They just sat there, watching the show unfold.

"I don't think this would end well." said Cilan.

"Emolga," Iris called out to her Emolga as if her Pokémon was a child, "Share!"

Iris's Emolga ignored her, she was just too focused on that apple. Mark didn't warn his Emolga to back off or to share. He just sat and watched, amused at the scene before him. Every time one Emolga raised a hand, the other tense up. After a brief stare down, they calmed down. Circle the apple again, and repeat. They kept this up for a minute, neither showed any signs of backing down. The apple itself sat undisturbed between them. If it had a mind, it wound be wondering why it was taking so long for its inevitable fate.

_What are they waiting for? _Ash thought.

After 5 minutes, things gone nowhere fast. Neither Emolga made any progression on the apple, afraid the other one might pounce. Ash wondered if they were that gluttonous and greedy. That apple was almost as big as their heads, they would both split it if they had any sense in them.

"Why not try using Attract on each other," Mark blurted out, "See if that does anything."

The two Emolgas just looked at him dumbfounded. Suddenly Mark's Emolga's face lit up, she looked like she had an idea, _What sinister plan you have, Emolga? _Ash thought.

"Attract won't work, Mark," said Cilan, "Both Emolga's are female."

"Well my Emolga didn't know she was a female until recently, I just wanna be sure."

Cilan raised an eyebrow, "How in the world does your Emolga don't know her own gender?"

"She's an inbred, the poor thing. My Emolga ain't so bright on some things."

Mark's Emolga jumped back, hearts spun around her as she did a twirl and blow kiss. Not sure what to do, Iris's Emolga did her twirl and a blow kiss of her own. Two beams of pink purple hearts and sparkles passed over the apple, passed through each other, and hit both Emolga's dead on. The normal sprite blinked and looked at her hands. No effect, Mark's Emolga's Attract had failed. However, the same couldn't be said the other way around.

"What in the world?" Cilan asked.

Mark grinned, "Figures."

Two big hearts popped out where Mark's Emolga's eyes were, she giggled and cooed and almost lost her balance. Everyone's jaws dropped. Mark laughed, "Get her, Emolga!"

"Emolga!" Mark's Emolga chirped, the hearts pulsing over her eyes.

"Em?" Iris's Emolga asked, she had no idea her Attract would work at all.

Before she could react, Mark's Emolga charged. She leaped over the apple and grabbed her by the shoulders, Mark's Emolga held Iris's Emolga like a baby and gave her a big smooch on the lips. Mark jumped, giving out a big smile with two thumbs sticking up.

A light flashed with a click, peppering Ash's eyes with spots. He blinked, took a moment to rub his eyes, and looked up. A guy with a camera stood there, smiling, looking into the preview screen of his camera.

"Yes," cried the photographer, "I got the shot of the day, I'm going to be rich!"

As the photographer ran out of the Pokémon Center, Mark collapsed on the floor, unable to contain his laughter. Everyone just stood there, wondering what just happened. Mark's Emolga dropped Iris's Emolga, the normal sprite flopped to the floor with a disgust face, "Em!" she yucked as she wiped her mouth.

Mark's Emolga turned her attention toward the apple, Iris's Emolga's eyes went big. She jumped up and tackled her to the floor. A dust cloud kicked up and punches were thrown. Ash had enough, he stepped in and spoke with an assertive tone, "Guys! Stop fighting, _now_!"

Someone farted, it was quick and sporadic. Iris's Emolga popped out of the cloud, her face was green as her tiny hands covered her nose, "EM!" she coughed. She took a few deep breaths and relaxed, then passed out on the floor.

Mark's Emolga jumped out of the cloud and grabbed the apple, then made a mad dash towards the exit. Everyone watched as Mark's Emolga smashed her face against the glass door, bouncing back like she hit a force field. The apple flew from her hands and rolled to the side. The shiny sprite shook the dizziness from her head, grabbed the apple again, then charged at the glass door a 2nd time. The glass pane bounced her back. This time Mark's Emolga collapsed on the floor, spirals swirled in her eyes as the red apple rolled away.

"Eemm." she moaned.

Mark laughed hard, he walked up to Emolga and picked her up, "I can't believe you just did that. You poor thing, are you okay?"

The shiny sprite giggled in his arms, "Emo."

Ash just stood there with a blank look on his face, trying to process what transpired, "I don't understand what happened." he thought aloud.

**. . .**

_This was better than I thought_. Tesla thought, a smile stretching across his face.

He turned away, snickering hard. The old Pikachu ran back into the living quarters and opened a window, Tesla jumped out and sprinted into the forest. Once out of town, Tesla broke down in laughter. The dumb Emolga had done it again. He couldn't believe it took just one apple to set all that off. The "normal" Emolga had no idea what was coming, she really wanted that apple badly. Was she gluttonous as well? The look in her eyes says so. Emolgas were so cute and adorable that they were a slave to their own desires. No wonder people like them as pets, they were fun to have around. Irvin had Tesla go "commandeer" an Emolga egg near the height of their glory days. Emolgas in the wild were no different from their counterparts in captivity, just throw them an apple and they would make a break for it. All the Emolga had to do was turn her back, and Tesla snatched the egg out of the nest. Just like that. Like all the other eggs he snatched, he didn't stick around to see the parent's reaction.

Eventually the Emolga didn't try to hunt him down, even if she had, he and Irvin were long gone. They took the egg back to Faraday Island where it hatched, Irvin let Tesla nicknamed the baby Pokémon. The old Pikachu named him Flashlight, since he brightened everybody's day. Flashlight was a hard battler, yet he always loved to play, often trying to pressure Tesla to get out of bed to play with him. Sometimes Tesla complied with him, other times he just gave him the boot. Flashlight always looked up to him as a close brother, and Tesla was always there for him.

Too bad poor Flashlight had fallen off a tree to his untimely demise. Tesla took delivery of burying him, after sealing up Flashlight's body in a trash bag he dumped it down the whole he dug and filled it in. Later, a granite marker was placed at the head of Flashlight's grave, where it remained there to this day.

_Poor, fella_, Tesla thought back at that day, _Good thing he hadn't seen wha__t later became of his friends_.

It didn't take long for Tesla to find Doc's dirt road, he started heading back to the bunker with renewed confidence. He looked up, the trees tried their best to block out the sky. Tesla sniffed the air, feeling the memories coming back. Dixie National Park, for some _strange _reason, was beginning to feel like his childhood home. The air, the temperature, the feel of the soil. Tesla pressed his foot in the dirt, it felt like home from another time. The only difference was the lack of diversity of Pokémon. He hadn't seen any grass-types, nor bug-types. The only Pokémon here were the Dixierats. He wondered what happened to the wild Pokémon who lived out here. Did the Dixierats drove them out, or was it the poachers?

_Poachers_, Tesla thought, remembering the massacre scene earlier this morning, _Yup, this place feels like home_.

The sad thing about home was it was gone, no way he could go back to it. Nothing there, probably. Viridian Forest might be a hell of a lot different than his childhood. Tesla didn't feel like he belonged there anymore, nor Faraday Island. Not even _here_, where his own relatives roam. Tesla was starting to wonder where he was from, he was born in Viridian Forest in the Kanto region yet spent most of his life in Faraday Island in the Unova region. Something wasn't right. He hadn't had this feeling when on the move, seeing places and passing by communities. But the thought that he might be here for a while, was starting to creep up to him. Lost love had took its toll on his aging brain, now the thought of finding a new place to live wasn't fitting well with him.

He stopped and looked back towards town. Somehow, having Ash in the equation helped him a lot. There was something about the young Pokémon trainer that he couldn't feel from his own trainer. Tesla had searched a lot of Ash's history on the web and the police databases. The young kid had a lot of accomplishments, winning all those badges and tournaments. Did he want to become a Pokémon Master? Tesla saw how that went for Irvin. Being with Irvin during his journey was an amazing experience for the old Mouse Pokémon, yet being with him after Irvin achieved his goal was the opposite. Watching all of his Pokémon die from natural causes and stupid accidents was numbing, then Irvin died. Then Tesla realized the truth. He had no friends, no family. No one to help him. They were either dead, old, insane, or depressed. Those horrible twenty years, all those people he killed, all those lives he ruined, were for nothing. He shouldn't had waited to leave Faraday Island, he should had just left as soon as possible. He squandered twenty years, for nothing.

Tesla licked his lips, now he really wanted a cold one. Was it a sign of an addiction? The old Pikachu wasn't sure, he was drinking alcohol for decades and hadn't had much of a withdraw. Usually he get a taste for beer when he was in deep thought about his problems. Tesla turned back towards the bunker, maybe Doc had some beer lying around. Or maybe the Dixierats might help him find booze.

Speaking of the Dixierats...

"I've never seen amazing things that came out of my head," said a country-accented voice, "yet today its for real."

Tesla looked around, bushes shivered. He turned, thought he saw something moved into the shadows, "Who's there!?" demanded Tesla.

"Nobody's here," said the voice, "there's not suppose to be anybody here. But here I am, living a miserable existence as a Mutant Mouse Pokémon."

A short pause, then the voice spoke behind him.

"I've seen you on TV, heard stories of you. The legend of Tesla is true, and here you are. A legendary Pikachu at the footsteps of Dixieland," the voice chuckled, "oh how the Dixierats would be pleased to find their founding father before them."

"I didn't wanna be a legend," said Tesla, "I just want to be with my mother and father and my brothers and sisters again, but that's not going to happen. They're long gone."

The voice clicked its tongue, "The family you grew up with would be long gone regardless, my parents had long since passed. To come to think of it, I had many half-brothers. Heck, my own father is my half-brother and his brother before and _his _brother before. At least you had real parents, mine were just a hodgepodge of genes that were reused so much, they created an abomination.

"What are you talking about?" Tesla asked the trees.

"Why so sad? Your own family lives here, you have more great-grandchildren than you know what to do with! Yet you still consider getting a drink. Wow, you're just like my cousin, Bruiser. I'm sure you've met him," then the voice asked, "So tell me, why so sad?"

Tesla sighed, "Cause they're a disappointment. From what I'd seen, they lack discretion and decency. Heck, they even mate in front of their _children_. No Pichu should see that kind of stuff, they're too young! I've seen it all, and on Ho-Oh's name it was a disappointment."

The voice laughed, "You'd seen nothing yet."

Tesla's ear twitched, he turned. A big Mouse Pokémon jumped out of the bushes. He charged at full speed, coming out of the shadows like a bullet. The old Pikachu jumped, the thing charged passed him, U-turned, and came back for a 2nd charge. This time Tesla was ready for him, his cheeks sparkling purple electricity.

Bright purple lightning erupted from Tesla's body, striking the thing with a swift boom. The thing yelped and blast back. It crashed into a tree trunk, snapping its base. The tree cricked and toppled over, hitting the ground with a thud. The thing laid on its back, steam rose from his soot-covered fur. He laid still and unresponsive.

Tesla panted, his heart pounding hard against his chest, "What in the world?" Tesla asked himself as he struggled to figure out what monstrosity he'd just seen.

The thing started laughing, it sat up and brushed the soot off of him. Tesla jumped back. No way he could had survived that super-charged Thunderbolt, no _normal _being that is.

"Damn," said the thing, "you pack a punch, Grandpa, just like on TV!"

"Who are you," Tesla asked, "What are you?"

The thing stared at him with curious eyes, it crouched on its belly and buried its mouth into its hands. After a moment of silent, the thing answered, "Rayo_vac _. . . Westinghouse. I'm a _Rikachu_ – the Mutant Mouse Pokémon. I'm your grandson."

All of Tesla's initial anxiety turned into frustration, "I have no time for this." he groaned.

He turned towards the bunker and started walking on his hind legs.

"Hey," Rayovac called out, "hey, wait!"

Rayovac jumped to his feet and caught up to him, then walked by his side, "You have no idea how excited I am to finally meet you, I've been waiting for decades wishing that I would meet you in person. I guess my wish is granted!"

"Whatever." Tesla said nonchalantly.

"Hey, come on, Tesla. Don't be that way. We're all friends here, right?"

"I don't have any friends."

"You like that raven-hair kid a lot, and that Pikachu of his too. You know, that Pikachu may help the Dixierats a whole lot. We're putting our money where our mouth is and hope he may help us in our long-term problem."

Tesla said nothing.

"We also wondering if you could gather around in one of our little meets, share some of your stories. You have a lot on your chest, clearly. I mean, you must have a lot on your mind."

Tesla said nothing.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

Tesla said nothing.

Rayovac went silent, both Mouse Pokémon kept on walking down the road without saying another word. Just when the bunker and it's Tesla coil was in sight, Rayovac muttered, "Okay then, I guess you don't wanna know what happened to Polly."

Tesla stopped, he turned toward Ray and almost lost his balance. Standing on his hind legs, Rayovac was a big guy. More larger than a Raichu, and tougher too. Tesla blinked, staring at him with mixed emotions.

"Ah," said Ray, "I see I struck a nerve."

"What happened to Polly?" Tesla asked.

"It all came down to this Tesla," Ray stretched out his arms, "All this. She was used, Tesla. Used against her will. She doesn't know any better, never had. They bred her that way, those bastards. The same bastards who brought the Dixierats to the world, brought _me _to the world. You wanna know what they done to her, well look at me. They had one of _your _own children mate with _her_ to produce another child, my Ma, and had her mate with another child showing potential. Know what I'm talking about?"

"Selective breeding," said Tesla, "That's how Pokémon breeders get the best genes selected for their Pokémon."

"Well the bastards didn't know when to quit. Just like they were working on my Ma, they were working on Polly. They were trying to make another you, Tesla. Another _you_. Thing is, they got to a point where the selective breeding stopped by me. I was born sterile, that was the end of the line for my Ma."

Tesla said nothing.

"Polly, that poor thing. The breeders of the day, weren't so gentle with her. They injected her with all sorts of chemicals, chemicals that improve fertility and such. Often they _train _her to breed, going through practice runs you see. I don't know how they went down, I never saw them myself. But what she told my mama, who later told me, that they took the biggest," Ray held out his hands, "Thingamajig, and stuck the damn thing in her, to stretch and massage her you know what. It was horrible!"

"How did she react?"

"Polly didn't react much, she was so used to having her privates used and abused that . . . she never complained one bit."

Tesla looked away for a moment, his beloved Polly was used? Was _he _used? No doubt about it, Irvin said he was getting paid for it. They earned enough money from the breeding program that they used it to improve the farm, buying all sorts of equipment and luxury. Tesla clenched his fists, he never felt so betrayed in his entire life. Yet, he wasn't in the mood for blaming anyone. Irvin supported Tesla's idea of taking Polly home, even tried to make it happen. But it just couldn't happen.

"Where is she now," Tesla asked, "You know?"

Ray shook his head, "I'm not old enough to know, only your own children know. My parents are long gone, no idea if they're even alive," he held up his fingerless land, "But, there is one Dixierat who's old enough to know what happened to her. However, he's in his seventies, and he's in a world of hurt. Always had been since the incident?"

"What incident?"

Ray smiled, "The incident where the Dixierats were set free."

Tesla digested it all in his head, trying to process it all, "My children, they're so old, they had to grow up without a father."

"So many Dixierats grew up without their fathers," said Ray, "It's not like they left them. No, they were there. But not there for parenting, sort of speak. Get me?"

"That's one of the few things I'd understand from you so far."

Ray chuckled, "I'll tell you, Tesla, if any Dixierat would know what happen to Polly. It would be him. He was one of the few of our relatives who last seen her alive."

"Chances are, she won't be today."

Ray shook his head, "He'd seen her long enough for her to retire, how old was she when you met her?"

"Less than a year, I think. I was in my thirties and forties at the time."

Ray smiled, "Then she might be still alive, thinking about you."

**. . .**

At that same moment, deep within the alleys of the town of Dixie the old rusty Pikachu limped towards the usual dumpster. It was slow. His joints and tendons were stiff from age and rigid from arthritis. The elder Pikachu felt the gradual trickle of pain with every step, it was like someone was jabbing his knees and elbows with a million pins. He stopped for a moment, leaning against the wall for a breather. The trip from home to town took him an hour, the stress from the poachers and the lack of support made it hard on his aging frame.

The elder Pikachu got back up, his one eye locked on the dumpster ahead. It wasn't far now, just 10 meters. A stone's throw away. But why was it so difficult? His legs didn't wanna move anymore, but the elder Pikachu couldn't stop. If he did, his muscle would lock and he could never move again. No, he couldn't let that happen. No one would take care of him, or bother spending the time to take him place to place. The elder Pikachu groaned, getting old sucked.

He placed the stub of his left arm on the dumpster, the elder Pikachu looked up. Once again he had to climb up to get into the dumpster. That was where the food was. He was hungry. Normally he wouldn't attempt such a climb but hunger gave him all the motivation to do so. The elder Pikachu licked his lips, he got up on his hind legs and jumped. His joints popped as he grabbed on the edge of the dumpster, his muscles strained as he struggled to hang on. He pulled himself up just enough to get a peak inside the dumpster. Nothing, it was cleaned out.

Crap.

The elder Pikachu slipped and fell on is back, landing on what remained of his tail. Every joint in his back and limbs exploded in pain. It was excruciating. He let out a scream, his voice echoed down the empty alley as he broke down crying.

The elder Pikachu thought back at a time when life was okay. The breeding program had gave him a bed to sleep in and plenty of food. His belly full, his safety guaranteed. The world never felt so right. On special occasions, Mama Polly would get to see him. She would cradle him and tell him stories of a legendary Mouse Pokémon. Mama Polly claimed that this Tesla Westinghouse was the most powerful of Mouse Pokémon, who never lost a single battle, who dominated the Pokémon battling world. She kept the elder Pikachu occupied by telling him stories about his adventures, where he and his trainer would get into serious problems and make it out victorious. Mama Polly claimed that this Tesla can unleash a million volts in a single Thunderbolt within a fraction of a second, the elder Pikachu asked if she actually seen it. Mama Polly said she only saw it on TV, Tesla told her that it was a genetic mutation. Mama Polly also told him he carried that gene, the breeders hope to make another Tesla from him. So far it hadn't happened.

But those were just stories, the elder Pikachu never knew what Tesla looked like. Sure, he was a Pikachu. It was said he wore goggles that corrected his vision, he was so near-sighted it was amazing he wasn't completely blind. Tesla Westinghouse, the father he'd never met. The elder Pikachu wondered if he was even still alive, he was vastly older than him. Maybe he was dead, but who really knows? Nobody hadn't seen him in twenty years...

Then he heard rumors from the Dixierats that a Pikachu wearing goggles had showed up in town, with a gash on his head. Wondering around like a drunk while making his way to the Pokémon Center. After that, he was everywhere, no clear place where this Pikachu could be. The elder Pikachu wondered if he was indeed Tesla, the Dixierats claimed he was since he spoke human. Speak human? Yeah right. He knew Rayovac and Bruiser speak human, those were the only Pokémon he ever known who spoke the human language. It was said that the gene to speak human was passed down from Tesla. The elder Pikachu found it hard to _not _believe. If the rumors were true, then Tesla could be somewhere around here . . . But would he share love? The Dixierats claimed he didn't say they loved him, they said he was disappointed in their flaws. The elder Pikachu was heavily flawed and scarred emotionally, the thought that Tesla – his own father – not loving him made him cry more.

While the elder Pikachu wallowed in his own grief, several humans passed by and looked on. They knew him as "that old Pikachu who cries a lot." Some would try to help, but the elder Pikachu would run away. Humans scare him, they always did. Yes, they took care of him during the breeding program, but they weren't so loving at times. They stuck him in a very small cage and shipped him as luggage, taking him away from Mama Polly and his friends. They had to hit him with a baton to get him in the cage, cause he was fighting back. He had thought about biting, and even shocking them, but he didn't have the heart to do it. He doesn't even had any energy to do it. He was too old that performing Thundershock knocked him out.

The elder Pikachu cried himself out and sat back up, he wiped away his tears looked down the street. Officer Jenny lumbered by on her motorcycle. The elder Pikachu just sat there, a part of him hoping she would stop and put him out of his misery. But no, she didn't notice him. She just lumbered by and sped off towards wherever she was going to. He stared at the street for a moment, and thought about ending it all. He was old and weak, he could barely take care of himself. Half blind and missing his left hand, he felt the world was ready to do him in. The elder Pikachu wanted to just give in and die, but he couldn't. He wanted to live, he wanted to live so badly that he didn't want to die alone. He wasn't sure how much time he had left, probably plenty more. But how could he spend it? Searching for someone, or something, to care for him. Maybe Doc might help. But he was too scared to even get near his place. Humans trapped him, hurt him in so many ways that the marks were obvious. Hadn't he gotten those keys to free the Dixierats, he would've been an outcast and life would be three times worst than it was now. He was a hero, but the couldn't play that role anymore. He was done, finished. He just wanted to rest, but he couldn't, cause humans were scarey and they were everywhere.

The elder Pikachu turned back around and head back to his lonely burrow, looks like he had to go hungry again tonight.

**. . .**

The female Pikachu watched the elder Pikachu limp down the sidewalk. He looked upset. She saw him wondering around alone and crying a lot. She could tell he was in pain, but why nobody hadn't helped him? Why would no human or Pokémon step in and help their elders when they were in such pain? That wasn't right. The female Pikachu couldn't stand it, she couldn't bare to see another Dixierat suffer like this.

She crept up to him, the elder Pikachu glanced at her with his one eye, then gazed back into space, _"Are you alright?" _she asked him.

The elder Pikachu said nothing, he just kept limping along, hadn't bothered to acknowledge her.

_"You look hurt, is anything wrong?"_

This time the elder Pikachu stopped. He turned to the female Pikachu, then muttered, _"Help me_._" _His voice was barely audible and weak, he was very tired.

_"Help me." _he muttered again.

_"You can't go back into the woods," _the female Pikachu told him, _"the poachers would make easy pr__e__y out of you. You have to go to the Pokémon Center, you're in no condition to even be out here!"_

_ "Help me."_

The female Pikachu took his only hand, _"Come on, I'll get you help."_

_ "Help me."_

The elder Pikachu didn't resist as the female Pikachu turned him around towards the Pokémon Center. He was moving too slow, his legs weren't moving as they used to. So the female Pikachu hoisted the elder Pikachu on her back and carried him. They moved a lot faster, she kept a steady pace, trying her best not to jar the elder Pikachu too much. He was fragile, any sudden moves might break his bones.

_"Help me." _he said for the twentieth time.

_"I'm helping you!" _the female Pikachu told him.

_"Help me."_

_ "You're going to be alright, the Audinos at the Pokémon Center would take care of you."_

_ "Help me, please."_

They made it into the Pokémon Center lobby, the female Pikachu sat him down and called out, "Pika! Pika Pikachu!"

Two Audinos came out from around the corner and rushed to her aid, _"What's wrong?" _they asked in unison.

_"This Dixierat's hurt," _said the female Pikachu, _"he's in pain and he needs some help."_

_ "Hungry," _he muttered, _"starving..."_

One of the Audinos nodded, _"Okay, let's see what we can do_."

The Audinos got the elder Pikachu on a stretcher and carried him off to the back, the female Pikachu sat down in the lobby and sighed. Nothing he could do for him now, all she had to do was wait and see if he would turn out. Just when she was about to go into deep thought, she smelled the air. A familiar scent struck her, her eyes bulged open, _"Mark was here_," she thought, _"He was actually here!"_

Her heart started beating hard again, the scent trail seem to lead out of the Pokémon Center. The female Pikachu jumped down and started following the trail. This time she was hopeful, the trail smelled fresh. He couldn't have gotten far.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	8. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 7_

"So how sure are you she's alive?" Tesla asked.

Rayovac leaned back on the couch and sighed, "I'm not, I never met her."

Tesla groaned, "You son of a b*tch, I should have known."

"Look, I can guarantee that your own son might know what happened to Polly. I also know, without a doubt, that the oldest Dixierat in the park, is indeed Polly's son as well as your own."

Tesla sighed, "Do you have any idea how many years I spent carrying this burden? Where in the world is this Pikachu anyway?"

"Tesla," said Ray, "you just have to wait till the Pikachu turns up. He may be younger than you but he ain't as healthy as you are. Like you, he's also hurt, but more physically than mentally. I wonder if he couldn't climb out of his burrow on some days, poor thing."

"Where does he usually hang around?"

"Dumpsters, where there's food. Like all your average Dixierats. You know, I wonder if he has any teeth left in his mouth."

"If he does, they would look like this."

Tesla showed him his teeth.

"Damn, Grandpa," said Ray, "You need to get that checked out by a dentist or something, had you have any tooth infections?"

"A few, all pulled out by a pair of pliers by Irvin's hand. I have the money to go get them fixed but probably the dentist couldn't, I don't wanna spend the rest of my life wearing dentures. I move around too much to worry for such a thing."

"Cause it makes you feel old?" Ray asked.

Tesla frowned, "I don't know what old and new feels like anymore, everything just hurts."

"How's your joints?"

"Terrible arthritis."

"Yet you still walk?"

"I have the desire to, I'm not letting osteoarthritis stop me. I had the thought about taking medication, but same problem as the dentures. I don't wanna worry about it."

Ray leaned forward in his chair, "But what about those goggles of yours?"

"My eyes are the only thing I cannot ignore. If I can't see, I don't know where I'm going. My eyes are so bad that I can't even see the fingers on my hand. It was horrible, I would lose my sh*t if I lose my eye-goggles."

"They correct your eyesight?"

"Yes, they do. Why do you think I wear these goggles all the time?"

Ray hovered his good hand over his mouth, "Oh sh*t, Tesla. I'm sorry."

"Kid, few things offend me anymore. Take it easy."

"Uh, Tesla? I'm not a kid, I'm 47 years old. Yes, I count my years. Bruiser's 42, I think our birthdays are weeks apart."

Tesla glanced at the Pichu egg, it sat where he left it. He glanced back at the clock and asked, "Where's Doc and Bruiser, anyway?"

"How should I know?" said Ray, "I don't pay attention."

"Course you don't."

Tesla got up and stretched his arms, his joints cracked and popped as they loosen, "I need a drink so bad right now."

"There should be some beer in the fridge," said Ray, "Doc always keeps beer around."

Tesla lit up, his ears skyrocketing to the sky, "He does?"

"Sure he does."

"Oh thank Ho-Oh. I've been dying for a drink since this morning!"

Ray pointed to the door behind him, "Kitchen's right there, should be easy to find since there's only 4 rooms in this concrete shell of a home."

Tesla got up and walked to the kitchen. The kitchen's walls and floor were the same, nothing special. Doc's kitchen was equipped with high-tech appliances, similar to the kinds of appliances he remembered in Faraday City. Tesla walked up to the fridge. Its face was plain, no magnets or pictures taped to it. He opened up the fridge. There was the beer, several bottles lined up neatly on their own shelf. He found something else: 4 jars of moonshine, sealed in clear jars. Tesla licked his lips, the last time he had moonshine was . . . uh, a long time ago. He shut the fridge. Screw the beer, he'll wait till tomorrow and get drunk off of moonshine. Great tasting stuff, especially when made under the moonlight.

He walked back into the living room, "Doc has some moonshine, you know that?"

"I only seen him drink half a jar at least once a month," said Rayovac, "I think the moonshine he had was a prize from some adventure a few months back."

"What adventure?" Tesla asked.

"He took on some poachers. Well, scared them actually. When they ran off, he came into their camp and grabbed all he could, I think a few Dixierats helped him at it."

Tesla nodded, "Well, I had enough to drink anyway. Just knowing that the beer is there would help me sleep tonight."

"Are you always tired?"

"I've been in the darkness of a freight train all day yesterday, I've been walking for weeks, and I had to elude dozens of humans along the way. Of course I'm always tired."

"Okay grouchy, I guess I'll leave you alone now," Ray got up and head for the door, "I'll be in the area, case you need me."

"Whatever, Ray." Tesla grumbled.

**. . .**

The flat-bed truck bounced along the forest terrain, kicking up clods of mud. The diesel engine belched out thick black blue smoke from its exhaust pipe, stressing the effort to push through the wilderness. It came around a small dried creek bed, then traveled down it for several meters. It then dipped into a small valley, dead leaves deposited during last fall was kicked up. The truck knocked over some small saplings trying to take root, they broke like twigs, standing no chance against the metal behemoth. It roared out of the valley and turned deeper into the forest. The trees did a wonderful job in masking the engine's roar. Not that it needed to. No Pokémon or human being ever comes out to this part of the forest, ever since the Dixierats drove them out.

Ernest, a close accomplice with Ralph Hendrickson, stood at the edge of the road. He guided the driver into a parking spot and signaled him to stop, the driver killed the engine and got out.

"The new shipment is ready, Dan." said Ernest.

"Great," said Dan, combing back his hair with his hand, "I could finally get paid for this."

Dan followed Ernest into the camp. Due to the nature of the operation, it was small and tight. Had to be, or else the police would get a whiff of this. Hunters wearing camouflage were going over inventory. Several long-barreled shotguns and rifles were laid out, the hunters went through them, taking them apart and cleaning them. It was a well-organized process, since all types of guns were the same model they can easily be serviced for parts. There was a machinist in the group, the one wearing glasses. He managed to make some home-made suppressors for the group, the guy managed to make them out of scavenged plumbing parts. He even made a suppressor out of a flashlight once, though they were a little trickier than simple pipes.

Ernest led Dan through the camp, before he even saw the cages he heard the yammering of a dozen Dixierats. Since Mice Pokémon were social creatures, they tend to get loud and obnoxious. Noisy little pricks they are, thankfully the truck's cab was soundproofed.

"Here they are, Dan," he said, "All yours."

The cage was large, the bars and floor coated with rubber to stop the Dixierat's electrical attacks. It sat on a push cart with thick tires, making it easier to transport. Dan covered his nose, the Dixierats smelled worse than sh*t. Do they always smell like that? Several Pichus and Pikachus were crammed inside, packed shoulder to shoulder, climbing over each other. Their yellow fur was an eye-sore, Dan had to look away for a moment, "How many?"

"14 Pikachus, 8 Pichus," said Ernest, "Hendrickson wants them gone by tonight."

Dan nodded, "Consider it done."

"Oh, he also handed me this to give you."

Ernest handed Dan a white envelope, he took it and stuck it into his jacket, "Is that all?" Dan asked.

"That should be it. Want help getting this onto the truck?"

Dan checked the tires of the cart, the axles seemed a little rusty, "Yeah, I think I'm going to need some extra muscle for this one."

The two got behind the cart and pushed the cage towards the truck. The Dixierats chattered non-stop, like Dan's wife on the videophone when he place calls back home. They were driving him nuts, Dan shook his head to clear out any stray thoughts as he pushed the cart. Just when the truck was a stone's throw away, the truck hit a bump. The noise volume jumped.

"Why are they so loud!?" Dan screamed over their voices.

"How should I know!?" Ernest yelled back.

"Can we shut them up!?"

"Yeah, we can!"

Ernest went over and picked up a cooler, it was filled with ice-laced water, empty of all beverage drinks. He took the cooler and dumped the cold water right into the cage. The Dixierats let out an ear-piercing yelp, then went silent. The whole camp went quiet again.

"There we go," said Ernest, "problem solved."

The Dixierats huddled into each other for dear warmth, shaking ice cubes off their fur. They murmured under their breath, chattering their teeth. The cold water shut them up, Dan relaxed, "How long will it last?"

"For a while," said Ernest, "there's a storm coming through here soon. If you drive through it, that would give these piss-balls something to chew on."

"I heard the storm is getting severe, the TV's talking about tornadoes touching down."

"Tornadoes, in Unova? Hadn't been a tornado in 30 years," Ernest glanced at the Dixierats, "Okay, let's get them on the truck."

The men hoisted the cage up on the flatbed truck and strapped it down tight. The Dixierats looked on, slightly curious at what they were doing. Dan wondered if they know what was going on, or they know any resistance they could offer was futile. Sometimes the Dixierats would bite on the cages of the bars. Not to get out, but for some strange reason, they like the taste of it. Dan had to occasionally swat at them to get them to stop. Sometimes they give in, sometimes they throw a fit. Watching them pout was humorous enough, that was the only thing he could ever tolerate from them.

"See you later, Dan." said Ernest

"Later." said Dan.

As Ernest head back to camp, Dan got back behind the wheel of the truck. He locked the doors and pulled out the white envelope the man handed him. He opened it up, a thousand pokédollars in 100 bills tumbled to his lap. This was enough money to pay the mortgage and the utility bills for the month, sweet. Dan stuffed the money back into the envelope and started up the engine. He wondered if he could buy some new clothes, maybe a suit. Yes, a suit, it would help him get a new job. Maybe a job as a janitor, since hauling these piss-balls off to who knows where was burning his nose and he was becoming a clean freak about it. All those showers he had to take just to get it off was driving up the water bill.

His wife doesn't know what he was doing, but surely got a whiff of the foul odor he sometimes bring home. It was straining their relationship, but not to greatly. Dan knew she could only take so much, _New job, _he thought, _find a new job. At least this won't go on my work history, unless I get arrested._

Dan pulled out of the camp and drove off. He took a different route this time, 5 kilometers to the northeast was the landing site. There would be a helicopter waiting for him. The helicopter looked like a military transport chopper, it had a big loading bay and everything. The people there would take the cage and load it in the back, which would carry the cage to a ship in the coast where that ship goes, to who knew where. Maybe to an island, less conspicuous that way. There were usually some explaining to do when ships go to big region areas. Like Kanto and Sinnoh. Where they leave a paper trail. They didn't need to tell Dan where these Dixierats were going, all he needed to know was the Dixierats were leaving Unova. That was it.

The dirt road smoothed out after he made a left turn. Dan kept it steady, he wasn't too worried that someone might stumble into him and peak inside his flatbed. He peered through the rear-view mirror, the Dixierats didn't look like they were chatty as they were once before. He turned his attention back to the dirt road, the trees shaded him from most of the sun. It looked a little darker than usual. Despite the shady light levels, this forest was old as it was beautiful. No wonder this place was that isolated. Maybe Dan would buy a house out here, have a small farm and live off the land. Oh wait, the Dixierats. They would be a pain in the ass. If Dan were to try to grow vegetables, they would come out on the property and eat them. Well, he had guns for a reason. Hmm, he wondered what a Pikachu would look like if it took a slug round from a Remington 870 to the gut.

Some of the hunters told him that bird shot would drill a Pikachu with more holes than Swiss cheese. Dan hadn't seen it himself, but he had no doubt that bird shot causes that much destruction. They had a lot of stopping power to it, a wall of lead would knock a large group of those buggers in a single blast. Now a slug round was something worth seeing, all that power concentrated to a point might make a Pikachu explode. He'd seen tree branches explode from slug rounds. Dan made a mental note of finding out what it does to soft targets.

A Pikachu popped out of the bushes with little warning, it trotted across the dirt road, oblivious to Dan. He saw the Pikachu too late, "Oh sh*t!"

Dan swerved to avoid the Pikachu, but hit it anyway. He felt it get ground up underneath the tire as it pass over him. The truck skidded across the muddy road and veered off down a hill, it knocked down a few trees before coming to a stop against a heavy oak. The airbag failed to deploy, causing Dan to smash his head into the steering wheel. He blacked out instantly.

**. . .**

Ash and his friends made their way back to Doc's bunker. They were silent for the most part, still reeling from the Emolga's little incident. Mark had a smirk on his face, everyone else was caught between humor and confusion. Mark's Emolga sat on his shoulder, leaning against his head. Plusle and Minun were called back into their Poké balls, despite their dismay. Iris's Emolga was called back, not wanting to handle Mark's Emolga anymore. Everyone walked on, Mark took delivery of helping the group push the wheelbarrel of stuff. He hadn't asked what they were for, which wasn't a surprise, since he was still trying his best not to laugh.

Ash checked the door. It was unlocked. He opened it and the group stepped inside. They found Tesla sleeping on the couch, hugging a Pichu egg while sleeping soundly, "He's out cold." said Cilan.

"Let's try not to wake him." said Ash.

Then Tesla sat up and yawned, "Too late."

The old Pikachu stretched his limbs as Mark wheeled in the stuff, he sat it down at the side as the group sat down on the couches, "Oh what a day." Ash groaned.

"Pikachu." Pikachu groaned, he got down from Ash's shoulder and sat down beside him.

Tesla noticed Cilan's bandaged arm, "What happened to you, Cilan?" he asked.

"Uh, we ran into some Dixierats along the way. They jumped us, ate all our food, I grabbed one by the tail and he bit me."

Tesla snickered, "The Pokédex would say not to do that. So, what did you do about it."

"I called out the cavalry," said Ash, "Snivy grabbed the Pikachu and threw him out into the woods with Vine Whip, she, Oshawott, and Scraggy cleaned up shop after that."

"Serves them right," Tesla looked up to the ceiling and sighed, "They're all my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and so on. I just found a small herd of them somewhere out in the forest, I literally smelled them before I saw them."

"How did it go?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew muttered.

"They're nuts, one of them tried to dive-bomb me. I simply had enough, so I walked out back here and sleep."

Tesla turned to Mark and frowned, "And just when things seem bad enough..."

"Happy to see me again?" Mark asked with a smile.

"Emolga?" Emolga chirped.

"No." was Tesla's blunt reply.

There was a moment of silence.

"So what happened to that Raichu, Tesla?" Ash asked.

"Well," said Tesla, "he thinks his life sucked. Turns out he didn't wanna evolve, never intended to."

"A Pokémon who doesn't want to evolve?" Cilan asked.

"They're common, very common. I'd met a few Pokémon before who didn't wanna evolve, but I never met a Pokémon before who evolved and hated it. He's suffering from depression, and on top of that," Tesla stopped and shrugged, "Look, Doc instructed me thoroughly not to tell you guys what happened to the Raichu today. He'll brief you in about it later. What I can tell you is that I got a Pichu egg out of it."

Tesla scooted the egg and hugged it with an arm, "That's about it."

"What are you going to do?" Ash asked.

"Wait till it hatch, then I'll raise the Pichu myself. I think this Pichu egg is my great-great-grandchild," Tesla glanced back at the ceiling, "I never felt older in my entire life."

"You have any friends, Tesla?" Cilan asked.

"A few now, a lot of friends died either because of old age or stupid ideas. And those who didn't die went insane, or dug themselves a hole to crawl in like what I'd done in Faraday Island. The only friend I do know that hadn't went insane is Matt Kissinger, Mark's grandfather."

"One of the reasons why I showed up," said Mark, "Not only he's part of the family, he's a heirloom. I'm stuck with him till he dies."

"From what the doctors did to me, I think I'll be round till your eighties. Assuming that I don't decide to kill myself," Tesla groaned, "My advice. Don't get old. The longer you live, the worst your death would feel."

Another moment of silence.

"I miss him, you know," Tesla continued, "I never really liked him, but I miss him. His army of Pokémon felt comforting, despite how stupid they are. They all looked up to me and I looked up to them. Irvin made me into a legend, he just hadn't intended I would live for so long. I bet his remaining Pokémon thought back and wondered where everyone else is now."

Tesla glanced at Ash, "You want to be a Pokémon Master, Ash?"

Ash nodded, "Yes, I do."

"Well here's my advice: Don't die on your Pokémon, they'll do stuff that are so horrible no one would want to think about. Like I had done to all those amateurs that tried to snag my tail for their dreams."

Mark opened his mouth to say something, but close it. Tesla went on, "You live in your mom's house, right Ash?"

"Correct."

"Pikachu." Pikachu chirped.

"The next time you go back home, find a house in the back-country with enough land and space for your Pokémon to play and roam. Get a few firearms, learn how to use them of course. Once you got a whole place set up, start planning an electric-type based gym in your hometown. I bet you have no idea what you're going to do after you achieve that status."

"I have a few ideas." said Ash.

"I recall how far Irvin went to become a Pokémon Master. He canceled relationships, his wife and kids left him, his own mother didn't wanna speak with him again. Irvin couldn't go to her funeral because she barred him from going, it was written in her will."

"Why?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew blurted.

"Well," said Tesla, "She wanted Irvin to throw me out after I took off his hand, he refuses. And so she threw him and me out. Irvin never saw his mom again after that."

"Grandpa talks about it all the time," said Mark, "almost every time when we mention you."

Tesla looked away, "The family I brought to the world is just another byproduct from Irvin. These Dixierats don't belong here, no one mentioned about them after I left the breeding program. I met the love of my life there, now she's gone. Taken away from me like my own parents and siblings. All I have left of her is the Dixierats, and they're a mess."

"You were so happy this morning," said Ash, "you took a sign to the face when you jumped off a speeding train and that didn't damper your spirits. What happened?"

"Pikachu?" mumbled Pikachu.

"You said you had a few too many," said Cilan, "a few too many of what?"

Tesla looked at the group, "I was drunk. I was riding with some hobos on a freight train over here and they offered me beer, I drank all the way. I got off the freight train feeling all bubbly, ready to take on the world. I found a passenger train that would take me to the Dixie, and so I hopped on the roof. It would've gone smoothly and straight forward if the train attendant hadn't spotted me, I don't know what I was thinking when I took a leap of faith. I swear the dent I left behind on that sign was the shape of a Pikachu, that's the only thing funny about it. Everything else was numbed pain."

"You drink?" Mark asked.

"During Irvin's time, I get wasted at least once a month. Me and my fellow friends would go out and steal beer from a random general store, law enforcement was a bit of a laugh back then. Police response time was around 5 minutes. We got our beer and wine, and in some cases moonshine, and we go back to the Westinghouse farm and party till we drop," Tesla then made a guilty smile, "You can't believe how many beer bottles that were lying all over the floor."

Doc ran through the door and slammed it behind him, his lab coat was all bloody and his eyes were bulging out of his skull. His glasses struggled to stay on as he fumbled with a wounded Pikachu in his arms. It was crying loud and hard, terribly in pain, "Clear the way!" Doc cried out.

He kicked open the door to his kitchen and ran through, Ash and his friends started getting up but Mark got in their way, "Don't, he needs space!"

"What happened!?" Cilan cried.

"Dixierat got shot," said Doc, "Give me a moment, I'll patch him up!"

Mark closed the kitchen door, "Hm," he said, placing his hand against the door's face, "It's a solid core, no wonder he kicked it open."

Doc's boot print was smack dab in the center, just below the door knob level. Ash could see previous boot prints around it, faded with age and past cleaning attempts. He and his friends sat back down, they waited in silence as Doc did his work. The concrete walls muffled the Dixierat's screams well, Ash could hear the hum of the air conditioner with the Dixierat screaming in the next room. Within seconds, the Dixierat stopped screaming. 10 long minutes went by in awkward silence. Tesla sat there, bored out of his mind as he stared at the digital clock on the wall, "You know," he said, pointing to the clock, "That's a 24-hour clock."

Ash looked up. Tesla was right, the blue LED numbers read 17:30. How come he hadn't noticed that before, "It's 5:30PM," said Tesla, "in translation."

"Why is it a 24-hour clock?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked as well.

"While Irvin was on his journey, he used a 24-hour clock. We use that when traveling, cause sometimes we travel at night and it helps trick our brains into staying awake. The military is popular for using the 24-clock, since they operate all over the world and travel comes quite fast. Once we got back home, Irvin stuck with the clock and past it down to his kids. To much of his wife's dismay."

"Another byproduct of Irvin." Mark added.

Tesla smirked, "But wait, there's more. Go to the next room and find out."

He pointed to the door opposite of the kitchen, "Go inside and look to your right, you'll see it."

Mark got up and opened the bedroom door and walked inside, he came back out 5 seconds later. He looked like he'd just won a million Pokédollars, "The wall is covered with guns," he said, "Mounted with them! Shotguns, rifles, he even has an AR-15! You can't buy that in the Unova mainland!"

"He inherited it from Irvin," said Tesla, "whom bought it at Faraday City gun store. I think Matt still has the receipts."

With curiosity peaking his interest, Ash got up and head to the bedroom. Pikachu followed behind him, also interested. Inside the bedroom was a single bed. The comforter and sheets were wrinkled, they looked like it hadn't been washed in months. The nightstand had a simple lamp, a weather radio alarm clock sitting by it. Embedded between the bed and the frame was a rack, holding a shotgun. Ash recognized it as the same shotgun Doc had with him earlier this morning. Pikachu jumped on the bed and smelled it, he face puckered as he covered his nose, "Pika!" he yucked.

Ash turned to his right, he jumped. The whole was was indeed covered with guns. Mounted on racks in a well organized fashion. Rifles on one side, shotguns on the other. Some guns looked familiar, strangely familiar.

Mark walked back inside and surveyed the guns, "Twenty-twos, twelve-gauges . . . These are hunting weapons, yet most of them don't look like they had been fired in a while."

"Why does Andy have hunting weapons?" Ash asked.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

Mark turned to Ash, "No way he could buy these weapons. Due to Doc's track record for being a nut-case, Faraday Island's providential government limited him 3 guns max."

"How do you know?"

"My dad looked him up one day in the police database and talked a little about it, I just happened to be paying attention that day."

"Emo." Emolga nodded.

"I think Doc stole these weapons. Some of these guns are the same model, so he probably ripped it off from some evil-doers."

"And who could they be?"

"Poachers," Mark answered, "If you want to hunt Mice Pokémon, these are the guns to do it. Only a fool would go up against a Pikachu in point-blank range, he would get fried before he could squeeze off a shot. Long-range is the way to go, they don't know what hit 'em from far away."

Tesla nonchalantly walked in and added, "If you shoot and kill a Pikachu in a certain way, they drop dead and twitch violently. People mistakenly think they're in pain. But no, that's the way a body reacts when something hits their off-switch."

"How do you know?" Mark asked.

"I had an uncle get shot in the head, his arms and legs twitched and jerked for a few seconds before going stiff. I was right next to him when his head exploded," Tesla grinned, "That was the first time I ever witnessed sudden death."

"You ever thought back at it?"

"Only when I stumble into someone or something stupid, cause most of my relative die because of stupid decisions."

Tesla sighed, "That's the thing. When I saw how the Dixierats behaved, it reminded me on how dumb my parents and siblings acted. I was along for the ride, we didn't know any better. Heck, stupidity was the only reason why me and my family got caught and separated, which was why the Dixierats were a disappointment. They reminded me on how dumb things were during my childhood."

"Good thing Irvin gave you an education." said Mark.

"He only taught me how to read and right and talk, everything else I learned by myself. I'm a self-made Pokémon, I'm everything the Dixierats are not."

Mark crouched down and gave Tesla a look, "Well how about you stop being ashamed of your own family members and start whipping them to shape, I'm sure they can't be _that _dumb."

"True, I just met a couple of Mice Pokémon who are a bit more educated than the others. One's depressed, the other half-sane. They represent how close the Dixierat's ever got close to being civilized."

"Tesla?" Ash asked.

"Yes, Ash?" Tesla asked politely.

"Have the Dixierats ever shown you affection?"

"They viewed me as a legend, not a family member. So the answer is no, which is just what I feared. I guess I'm going to be busy tomorrow."

Mark, his Emolga, Tesla, Ash, and Pikachu head back to the living room and sat down on the couch. Within moments, the kitchen door opened and Doc stepped out. He had taken off his white lab coat, the doctor aroma he gave off was somewhat non-existent. He carried the Dixierat in his arms, its side was bandaged and an arm was wrapped in gauze, "I had to give him morphine," said Doc, "once he's awake I'll give him a revival herb and that would make him feel better. But he won't actually be better, this Pikachu got his arm and ribs broken. No healing herb can fix broken bones instantly, so this Pikachu's going to be in bed for weeks till he fully recovers."

Doc sat down on the couch, the Dixierat slept peacefully in his arms. The poor thing was tired, he'd just came out of a nightmare and was out of the woods."

"What happened to him?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew added.

"I found him in a ditch, not to far from here. I was tracking down some poachers when-"

He stopped himself, then backed up, "Okay, let's state the obvious. The Dixierat's are being hunted by poachers, I'm at the front lines trying to stop them. Many Dixierats like this one are getting killed or captured for profit. This one right here got shot in the side, he fell down a cliff in an area the poachers couldn't get to him. I heard his cries while walking by, I risked my life and limbs climbing down to save him."

"Is he going to be okay?" Cilan asked.

"In the short-term, yeah. But I'm not sure about the long-term, some Dixierats don't learn lessons too well."

Tesla shook his head, "Family curse, been around for hundreds of years."

"You doing okay, Tesla?" Doc asked.

The old Pikachu looked up at Doc, "You look just like Irvin, always had. You even act like him."

"I followed mostly in his footsteps, I had a wife and few kids years ago. The kids eventually grew up and left naturally, my wife divorce me because of my . . . uh, profession."

"That explains the single bed. Damn, you're worse than Irvin."

Doc laughed, "He told me about how you ditched him in that village, he had to run out of there in his underpants."

"He was wearing Pikachu boxers, it was too good not to resist."

"I remember that time you clogged the toilet in that Pokémon Center. You didn't even bother telling anyone about it, you just kept flushing that toilet until the whole bathroom flooded. I can't believe I walked into that."

"Well, the Audinos pissed me off. They adore me a little bit too much, so I gave them something to remember me by," Tesla laughed, "The look on Nurse Joy's face was priceless. Never got caught, too. That's the beauty, cause I'm _so _awesome."

"Even though you have mellowed down a lot, Tesla, you're still a complete scumbag."

Tesla grinned, "I know."

"Bastard dug a hole into my house to steal my peanut butter," Mark added, "kept doing it for 20 years."

"You're still mad about that?" Tesla asked.

"That draft was so annoying!"

"Emolga!" Emolga blurted.

Ash changed the conversation, "Oh Doc, we got the things you asked for. They're right there."

Doc looked behind him, "Oh, good. I completely forgotten about it. Tomorrow's going to be fun, the Dixierats are going to love it."

"What's going on tomorrow?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew added.

"I'm going to fill up a swimming pool and give whatever Dixierat I can get a hold of and give them a bubble bath, then give them a health check-up after that."

"Sound's cool!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu added.

"I had enough of the Dixierat's for one week." said Cilan.

Doc saw Cilan's arm, "Dixierat bit you?"

"Yeah, a herd jumped us and ate all our food. I grabbed one by the tail to pull it away and he got me good."

"Happened to me a couple of times. That's just a built-in reaction, they don't really want to bite. They get all emotional when they realized what they done."

"If they shock you," said Tesla, "then they intend to harm you."

"Correct," said Doc, "which happens to me all the time, cause some are complete scumbags," he turned back to Ash, "If you're up to it, you can take that wheelbarrow to town and collect some Dixierats. Just pick them up and dump them in it, they would instantly know what you're doing. I've done this before."

Ash nodded, "Wheelbarrow them back here, basically."

"Yes, they won't throw fits when you dive into their business. That's the beauty of them, they don't mind being bothered with."

"Yet why did those Dixierats laying on your coil outside shock you?" Tesla asked.

Doc simply says, "They just like to piss me off."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	9. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 8_

Another day drew to a close in the Dixie, the sun went down and the street lamps kicked on. People went home and shut themselves in, retiring for the night. Any Dixierat out in town either retreated back to the forest or huddle in a comfortable spot in the alleys, sleeping the night away in the comfort of human civilization.

Officer Jenny's day, however, was still going. Sitting under the glow of florescent lights, she typed away at her report. Since it was an interesting day, she had a whole load of incidents to document. Like that kid with the Pikachu. Strange, how often foreigners from Kanto come around here?

Like never.

Well, at least she got to meet a _real _Pikachu for once. Officer Jenny never liked those Dixierats, almost to the point that she thought they weren't real Mice Pokémon. They were supposed to be lab rats, experimented on by scientist searching for cures like cancer and schizophrenia. The Dixierats weren't intended to be freed. But they were. All thanks to some idiot who did a half-ass job of inspecting the damn train tracks. What was it, a rusted bolt that failed? The crash killed the conductor, and freed the Dixierats. The police couldn't catch them all, they took root near town and started breeding like an exploding fireworks factory. Damn, there were so many. Their numbers grew so large, they kicked out the local Pokémon. Not a single natural Unovan Pokémon remained, just the Mouse Pokémon: An invasive species that does absolutely nothing but eat, sleep, and breed Pichus that eat, sleep and breed. When food isn't enough out in Dixie National Park, they come to town, where they gorge their fat little bodies in dumpsters and refridgerators of the town's populace. Once full, they take a big crap on the pavement and slept next to it. In some cases, _on _it. That was why the smelled so bad, they found it amusing to even piss on each other.

_Disgusting little varmints. _Officer Jenny thought.

But that Pikachu, that natural Kanto-born, there was something about him that Officer Jenny liked. He was well disciplined, and well trained. Maybe this Pikachu grew up in human captivity, or maybe the kid found him in the crawlspace of his home, chewing on electrical wires for delicious amperage. Whatever the case, that Pikachu had a strong bond with Raven Hair. It cried a little when she handled it, which was not a surprise since Mice Pokémon were such cry-babies. The pure bred didn't bite, or shock, or try to get away, he just sat there on the desk like a good little Pikachu while Nurse Joy checked the database. Dixierats don't mind being handled, a trait inherited during their time as lab rats. Anyone could pick up a Dixierat and shove their finger up its ass and it won't bat an eye. They were so docile. Unless, of course, you grab it by the tail.

Officer Jenny clicked save and printed out her report: A full five pages written in Times New Roman, font 12. Double-spaced. That might be the biggest report she'd ever written in her time as a police officer for this town. Usually the reports end at 2 pages, mostly full of incidents about the Dixierats gorging on trash or mating in public. At least, for once, something interesting happened today.

She got up and retrieved the report from the laser printer. Officer Jenny tucked it in an office folder and sat it on her desk. Finally done. She checked for anything new in her inbox, then went for a cup of coffee in the lounge. Officer Jenny sat down and sipped it. It was cold, probably made earlier this morning. Just when she sipped it, a thought crossed her mind. Nurse Joy was talking about another Pikachu coming into town. A rather old one, she says, that talks. Figures, there were already two little dumbsh*ts that talk in that forest. Why not have another one? And this Pikachu wears goggles. How cute. Little cheap goggles, probably bought from a store in the children's section. Officer Jenny threw away her cup and got up. Well, she had nothing better to do, why not check out this Pikachu? She had access to the Pokémon global database, why not look up this old Pikachu?

Officer Jenny sat back down at her desk and woke up her computer. A few clicks with the mouse brought up the Pokémon global database. She typed in _old pikachu _in the search bar and hit enter. Several Pikachu profiles came up, but one stood out. There he was, a pretty recent picture of this old goggle-wearing Pikachu. Serial number: KVF115. So, this Pikachu was tagged. He was caught one time, and one time only, in Viridian Forest in the Kanto region. Officer Jenny clicked on the profile for a more detailed view. Oh, what was this? He had a _name_? Nurse Joy claimed this old Pikachu had a name, but forgot what it was. Officer Jenny bet she couldn't remember breakfast this morning. That nurse was always forgetful. Amazing she hadn't screw up yet.

Officer Jenny checked out the name, her skin froze. Tesla Westinghouse, once owned by the famous Irvin Westinghouse of Unova's rebellious providence: Faraday Island. She remembered seeing Tesla on TV when she was a kid, but that was a lifetime ago. This famous Pikachu was said to be a hundred and seven years old. The oldest living Pikachu ever confirmed. Do Pikachus live that long? No, they don't. Officer Jenny doubt a Pikachu could live till 50, but . . . hmm, his old age might not even be natural. Makes sense, Faraday Island has one of the longest life expectancy rates in the world thanks to their advances in health care. Sure enough, Tesla had a long and lengthy history. She skimmed through it, there was enough history documented that it could fill up a hundred libraries.

According to the database, Tesla never lost a single battle while being Irvin's Pokémon. Bullsh*t. It says here he only battles once a week, sometimes once a month. Officer Jenny got to the end and found a single newspaper article, dating back 20 years ago, stated that Tesla simply _ran away_. It wasn't pretty, Irvin's sudden death caused many of his Pokémon to run away or commit suicide. Or even go insane. Poor things, maybe they were all dead now.

"Now let's see if he has a criminal record." Officer Jenny thought out loud.

She checked for his record, it came up blank. Officer Jenny was dumbstruck. So this old Pikachu has a clean-slate? Not a single fault throughout his life? She went to the personality section. It says he was mean-spirited and often irritated, occasionally shocks his trainer and cause mayhem with other Pokémon. That doesn't sound like a Pikachu with a clean-slate. For a Pikachu who never lost a battle, there was no way he hadn't ruin the lives of the trainers of the Pokémon he defeated. No way.

So what was going on here?

_Why not try the internet? _Officer Jenny thought.

She closed down the database and opened up the World Wide Web, she typed in Tesla's name in the search engine and hit enter. 15 million hits within 0.57 seconds.

Most of the websites and articles were fan-based of Tesla or Irvin, nothing useful. But one news article stood out, she clicked on it:

**LEGENDARY PIKACHU PARDONED**

_**Tesla Westinghouse, 107, pardoned after winning epic Pokémon battle**_

"Sh*t," Officer Jenny swore, "So you do have a record, you little prick!"

She glanced at the clock, 9:25PM. She had time, why not dig a little deeper?

She read the article, from top to bottom, all the way to the comments. It said that Governor Norman pardoned the old Pikachu after he won a Pokémon battle against a Darmanitan. The odds were against him, Tesla was old and hadn't battled in years. But he pulled it off, with a price. A broken rip punctured his lung, almost bleeding to death. Turns out there was a bounty on the Pikachu, after he got the pardon the reward money went to the newly promoted Chief of FCPD Emmett Kissinger, who happened to be an old acquaintance of Tesla during the Pikachu's heyday.

Thanks to the pardon, Tesla's criminal record officially doesn't exist. It never happened. Officer Jenny wondered if there was some news articles somewhere about it, those records don't simply disappear from pardons. All she had to do was find them. She did a few searches, found some promising articles. One article said there was suspicion that Tesla and his friends robbed several convenience stores in Faraday City, all the beer was stolen and the cash registers stripped clean. Apparently there wasn't any evidence that Tesla did it, the power to the stores was always cut and the surveillance systems failed to record it. He didn't leave behind a single fingerprint, or hair follicle. What was proven that a Scraggy committed the crimes, later it was a Scrafty, which happened to be the same individual. Officer Jenny made a mental note to check this Scrafty out later.

_I wonder if Nurse Joy knows anything about this Tesla_, she thought, _something more._

Nurse Joy technically had the same hours as Officer Jenny's, so she might still be up. Officer Jenny shut off her computer and stood up, might as well pay her a visit. Just shake her up a bit, and see what falls out. Maybe Officer Jenny could get a piece of the puzzle out of her.

Officer Jenny left the station and walked down the deserted street. The night felt ominous without people or Pokémon, it was almost like it was a ghost town. The Pokémon Center was just up ahead, its lights were still on. Officer Jenny walked in and approached the reception desk. Nurse Joy was there, talking to a few Audinos.

"Nurse Joy," Officer Jenny called out, "you have a minute?"

Nurse Joy looked up, "Officer Jenny? What can I do for you this time of night?"

"You said something about an old Pikachu wearing goggles, can you tell me why he was here?"

Nurse Joy stood up, "I stitched a gash in his head, patched him up. After that he left suddenly. But he came back hours later, he had a shower and slept in one of the beds in the back. For some reason, he left through the back window. Strange little guy."

"You have any blood samples from him," Officer Jenny asked, "or hair follicles?"

"Yes, yes I do. He shed a cart load of fur in the shower, took the Audinos an hour to clean it all up."

"Can you run a sample through the DNA scanner, I think we have something here."

Nurse Joy nodded, "Sure, I can do that for you."

Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny went to the back, sitting on the counter-top was the DNA scanner. It was the size of a coffee machine and was plugged into a laptop computer. An Audino dug in the nearby trash can and retrieved a small handful of yellow fur, it handed it to Nurse Joy. She patted the Audino on the head,"Aud!" it cooed with a smile.

"Okay," said Nurse Joy, "let's see what we get."

Nurse Joy stuck the sample in the scanner, the scanner buzzed for a few seconds before giving off a green light. Tesla Westinghouse's profile came up on the laptop's screen, "Just what I figured," said Officer Joy, "So Tesla's really here in Dixie."

Nurse Joy noticed something, "Hang on, what's this?"

"What is it, Joy?"

Nurse Joy scrolled down the screen, her jaw dropped, "It says here, he's a Dixierat. But not just any ordinary Dixierat."

"What do you mean?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Let me check."

Nurse Joy opened up the Dixierat database, it was a record of every Dixierat captured and tagged throughout the years. Once a week, a few more dozen samples get added to the database. It can determine what generation the Dixierat was and its location in the family tree.

"According to the data base," Nurse Joy says as she examined the records, "The Dixierat family tree all leads up to him."

"What?"

Nurse Joy turned to Officer Jenny, "The Dixierats, they're all Tesla's descendants! He's the founding father of the Dixierats!"

The room went silent.

Officer Jenny shook his head, "Does he smell like one?"

"No, he's too civilized. He's wise and well-educated, he even has a bit of an advanced vocabulary."

_Bingo,_ Officer Jenny thought, "Okay, you have any idea where he could be?"

"I don't know where he went, I didn't see him leave."

"Well, we gotta find someone who knows him. Word would get out tomorrow that Tesla's here, and things will get hectic. If Tesla has any influence on the Dixierats, who knows what he could do with them," Officer Jenny grabbed Nurse Joy by the shoulders, "Look, Joy. We got ourselves a predicament here. We gotta find the old Pikachu _before _the poachers do, and if they get a hold of him."

Nurse Joy nodded, "I know what they'll do."

Tesla's celebrity status would cost him his life. If the poachers get wind of this, they would start hunting for him. They would pull more resources into such an operation that the town would be threatened, and there wouldn't be enough man-power to stop them. On top of that, there's a pure-blooded Pikachu somewhere around here, the poachers would love to get a hold of it along with Tesla. Officer Jenny needed a plan, and fast. She can feel it in her bones that a storm was building, and it was about to strike lightning.

"I'll talk to Andy," said Nurse Joy, "I'll tell him what's going on and I'll see if he knows anything about Tesla."

"You do that," said Officer Jenny, "Tomorrow, I'm going to shake some bushes to see if anyone knows anything about the old Pikachu. I'll might ask that Kanto kid if he knows anything about them too," then she added, "Nurse Joy, lock up the Pokémon Center after I leave. Don't open up for anybody till 7AM tomorrow, just shut the whole place down for the night."

"Okay, Jenny, have a nice night."

"Bye."

Just after Officer Jenny leaves, the Pokémon Center's windows went dark as several Audinos locked the front doors and windows.

**. . .**

Nearly a kilometer away, Tesla was still awake. He laid on the couch, staring into the darkness of Doc's living room. The air was fresh, situated around 20 degrees Centigrade. It felt like he was in a hotel, but he wasn't. He was in the forest in an air-tight bunker, designed to be a small residence. On the other couches, Ash and his friends slept. Tucked in their sleeping bags, they were warm and dreaming of happy times. He could tell by the rhythm of their breathing, and how they shift in their sleep. Despite how the day went, everyone slept it off without a problem.

Except him. For some reason, Tesla woke up just a few hours after going to bed. He didn't know why. Maybe because he took more than two naps, or it was a leftover habit from his outlaw days in Faraday City. Maybe because he was getting old and he didn't need much sleep. Around him, the world snoozed on with heavy silence. Tesla felt safe, or maybe too safe. For some reason, safety doesn't bode well with him. He was surrounded by folks he trust, that feeling of trust also gnaw on Tesla's skin. Why was that? Why does being safe don't _feel_ right?

_Old habits_, Tesla concluded, _had to be old habits. I was trained to live in a harsh world, not in a peaceful world._

So much for common sense. Tesla turned and felt the Pichu egg. It was tucked in a pile of blankets, warm and cozy from the outside world. Probably even better than in that burrow he found it in. Tesla sat up and stretched his arms. He needed a moment outside. Just a moment, and he'll be back. Nobody would notice. He jumped down and crept up to the front door, he jumped up on the knob and unlocked it. He opened the door, the smell of outside forestry air breezed in like a draft through a cracked seal. Tesla stepped out and closed the door behind him.

He jumped when he looked up. The Galactic plane loomed overhead like a 3D poster. Tesla's jaw dropped, he hadn't seen the Galactic plane since traveling with Irvin on his journey. It told him that he was far from the cities, far from the major populated towns. He was in the middle of nowhere. As a result, he was rewarded a view of the planet's little corner of the universe.

_I'm this far out from human civilization? _Tesla asked himself.

Apparently yes, but does the town of Dixie count? It was a small town, everyone knows everyone, and change comes slowly. Maybe because of the lack of college education or something, but it wasn't like that. This town import a lot of electronics and stuff from the railroad, along with building material to maintain their infrastructure. Well, nobody wasn't doing much maintenance. Cracked windows and flickering lights were common, either they don't have the money to fix them or they didn't bother at all.

Maybe it was something else that was making the town rot, but what?

Tesla sat against the outer wall of the bunker and stared out into the forest, the wind was blowing gently across the trees. The forest was dark, empty, devoid of life. Was it like this every night? Tesla had spent a good chunk of his life inside a dark forest, alone. At first it was an unpleasant experience, there was no telling if someone was out there to get him. Since he had a lot of time on his hands, Tesla spent weeks and months working to build his little playground. An electric fence to surround a safe zone, and multiple punji stick traps, homemade land mines, he even uncovered a stagnant drinking well that was already built into the area. Tesla had no idea how that got there, but it was quite effective. Anyone crossing along would get swallowed up by the earth, never to be seen again.

That made his little forest safe for him to sleep at night, but the paranoia remained. Tesla had to endure this for 20 years, until the police challenged his comfort zone and triggered the mother of all traps. Those final days on Faraday Island were the most intense yet, thank Ho-Oh they were over. Now he was in a much larger forest, filled with his descendants.

And hunted by poachers.

What a scary thought, but to Tesla it made no difference. He was willing to fight a war if he had to, even if he had to use the poachers own guns. When was the last time he fired a long-barreled gun? Tesla couldn't remember, but he does remember how powerful the kick was. His first time using big guns knocked him flat on his ass, they were that powerful. He liked that power, it helped him feel the punch he gives to whatever he is aiming at.

It had been a long time since Tesla had access to guns, now he had several shotguns and rifles to choose from. A wall selection of them! If Andy would let him, maybe he would get to fire some of them. Well, Andy does owe him a few favors.

Forty years ago, when Andy was in his early teens. He gotten into a bit of trouble, while coming over to visit he got into a bad accident. Tesla was just outside when he saw Andy came riding up on his bicycle. The third generation Westinghouse was riding a little to the ditch. Tesla wasn't sure if it was a pot hole or an oil stain, but what he does remember was Andy nose-diving into the ditch. Tesla was by his side in less than a second, somehow the dumbass knocked himself out and broke his leg. It was so bad that the bone was sticking out. The helmet did no good for him, the impact somehow broke it in half and the inertia rattled his skull like a bolt in a jet engine. Maybe it was a good thing he was unconscious, cause he would be screaming in pain if he wasn't.

Tesla knew how to mend a broken leg, even with one with a bone sticking out. First he got Andy out of the ditch and got him in the casualty position, then stabilized his leg with splints. A minute later the ambulance came and took Andy away, the doctors fixed his leg up and he came out of his brief coma the next day.

While Andy was at the hospital, Tesla took delivery of fixing up the bike, since he had nothing to do that week. The tire was replaced and a new helmet was bought. As a personal joke, Irvin bought Andy a helmet fitted with Kevlar, "No way this helmet would split in half." he says as Tesla personally handed Andy the helmet.

Bulletproof helmet, couldn't it get anymore incredulous?

Tesla drifted off to other thoughts, then his mind went blank. For 20 minutes the old Pikachu sat there staring into the darkness, while listening to the silence of the night. His body started relaxing, his heart rate slowing down. Tesla yawned, the night was finally tuning down his mind. Maybe he was going to sleep peacefully tonight.

_Well_, Tesla thought, _back to bed_.

Just when Tesla stood up, he smelled something in the air. It smelled like smoke, strong smoke. Was that a fire? Tesla's brain went back on full alert, he took in another whiff and pinpointed its direction, _Smells like a campfire_, he thought, _I wonder who would it be._

Tesla ran on all fours toward the campfire, when he got near he slowed down. The sound of yammering Dixierats lofted through the air like a steady wave. Tesla approach the bushes and pulled down some branches. Surrounding a campfire, a dozen or so Dixierats danced around a campfire. Several Raichus and Pikachus clamped in synced, Pichus held each others arms and danced around in circles. Tesla wondered what was going on, were they having a party?

Then there was Ray, playing a banjo. The banjo looked like it been through a washing machine filled with gravel, it was beat up and missing a string. A few strips of duct tape covered a gaping hole in the back, the duct tape looked weathered and was ready to fall off. The big Mutant Mouse Pokémon thumped his great foot and struck the cords of the banjo. He was off-key, but the Dixierats didn't seem to mind. Tesla went prone and listened to the tune of the song:

_"__Dixierat's hear yah country callie,"_

_ "the atmosphere's at worst death defyie!"_

_ "To arms, to arms, to arms in Dixie!"_

_ "The thunder and lightning's now ignited,"_

_ "let our hearts be now united!"_

_ "To arms! To arms! To arms in Dixie!"_

Ray jumped up on a log and sang in a powerful human voice:

_"Advanced the flag of Dixie!"_

_ "Ourah! Ourah!"_

_ "In Dixieland we take our stand,"_

_ "We'll live or die for Dixie!"_

_ "To arms! To arms! And conquer peace for Dixie!"_

_ "To arms! To arms! And conquer peace for Dixie!"_

The Dixierats cheered and danced, thumbing their feet along with the beat. Tesla laid there and waited till the song was over, while the Dixierats were all tired out he stepped out of the bushes and called out to them in the Pokémon language, _"Hello there, Dixierats."_

Every Dixierats shut up and held their breath, their eyes went big as Tesla stood before them. He held his ground, the Dixierat's faces glowed from the light of the fire. They were almost like ghosts when sitting still_. _One Dixierat, a female Pikachu, stepped up and asked, _"Are you . . . Tesla?"_

Tesla replied in human speech, "The one and only."

A heavy silence descended over the little camp ground, the only sounds were the pop and crackle of the camp fire. Tesla felt in the mood to talk, so he sat down on the log and looked out over his descendants, "Well, Dix," he says, "I'm sure you have a hundred questions in mind."

_"Are the stories true," _asked a Raichu, _"You traveled the world and won every battle you fought?"_

Tesla nodded, "Yes."

Another moment of silence.

"But that's all history now," he added, "I'll be honest with you, I had many battles and I wish to have no more. I've broken many bones in my body and I still feel pain from those old wounds . . . I never wanted to battle. I was never enthusiastic about it, never desired it. I battled because of one thing, _one _thing."

_"What?" _a Pichu asked.

Tesla frowned as he looked away, "A long time ago, I had a loving mother and father and several brothers and sisters. They were taken away from me," and he added, "by poachers."

The Dixierats gasped. They clutched their children in their arms, one fainted from the shock while another burst into tears, Tesla finished it off, "The only reason why I battle, is because I want my family back. But I couldn't have them back. They were divided and had died alone, probably thinking about each other at the end. I was told their remains were cremated and placed in urns, but I doubt it, my trainer was quite a convincing liar."

Tesla leaned forward, "And you know what made it feel worse?"

_"What?" _a male Pikachu asked.

"I met the love of my life, and she was taken away from me. I never saw her again, and I never met one of the many children we produced together," Tesla sat back and sighed, "The only thing I ever had left of her . . . are you guys. You and every single varmint in Dixieland are the descendents from me and Polly. If she would see what is happening to you guys now, I bet she would break down in tears."

Tesla let that hang for a moment, then confessed, "I saw the massacre earlier this morning, I walked through the field and saw what the poachers did to your friends and siblings. The poachers would not go unpunished."

_"Did you come to help us?" _another Raichu asked.

"Y'all I have left," said Tesla, "I came here only because I have no other Pokémon friends left alive or sane enough to be reliable, all the humans I know are either dead or just plain old. Andy, or Doc as you called him, may be your best bet. I known him since the day he was born, he's the grandson of my trainer Irvin Westinghouse. He'd already taken a great burden off your shoulders."

Another moment of silence.

A female Pikachu said, _"Doc gives us baths, food to eat, and sometimes let us sleep in his house. He helped me lay my Pichu egg, if would've been more painful if I did it alone."_

The Pichu standing next to her nodded, but said nothing.

"I think I could help with your inbreeding problem as well," then Tesla asked the female Pikachu, "you want more children?"

The female Pikachu nodded, _"I always want more children, my little Pichu right here is my 7th one this year."_

_ Whoa_, Tesla thought, _that's a lot_.

"I brought 140 Pichus into the world," said Tesla, "let's see if you can beat that."

The Dixierats let laughed for a few seconds.

"I know of a Pikachu who might help provide healthy offspring, however there's a problem. This Pikachu is too young and inexperienced. He has never rubbed noses with another female Pikachu in his entire life, I think he may had a few crushes but he had never fallen in love with another Mouse Pokémon. Persuading him to provide some sperm samples would be no easy task, I bet he never even masturbated before."

_"He doesn't have a sex life?" _a Pikachu asked, he hadn't heard of another Mice Pokémon before without a sex life of some kind.

"He's owned by a 10 year old kid," said Tesla, "The kid's name is Ash Ketchum, he and his friends are going to both help us fighting the poachers _and_ add a fresh set of DNA to our gene pool. That's killing two birds with one stone."

"However," Ray finally spoke, "his genes might not spread far enough to help us in the long term. Sure he would give us a few more generations, but we would all soon be down that inbreeding path again after 20 to 40 years. Even if he brings a hundred Pichus to the world."

"Well, Ray," said Tesla, "It's better than nothing, he's all we've got so we cannot. I repeat, we cannot make things uncomfortable for him. The don't want to scar the little guy's life from this experience."

Ray groaned, "So what are we going to do?"

Tesla sat his hand on Ray's shoulder, "We wait, Ray. That's what we're going to do. He ain't leaving any time soon, so right now we worry about the poachers. If we can take them out, then there won't be a chance for them to undo any good that Pikachu do for you guys," he turned his attention back to the Dixierats, "Does anyone have any strings to pull? You know, any favors someone owe you or something?"

The Dixierats shook their head.

"You know any major poacher camps."

They all nodded.

Tesla smiled, "Okay then, we're getting somewhere. So tell me, you know how to make punji sticks?"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	10. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 9_

Tesla returned to the bunker with a sense of confidence. He had a plan, but only if the Dixierats would do their part. Executing a plan was a lot harder than actually planning it, what looked good on paper might not be practical in real-life. And paper's 2D, while the real world was 3D. Tesla couldn't count on everything, but he was sure that the Dixierat's part shouldn't be that hard. What's so difficult about digging a pit and stuck shit-smeared spikes in it?

He managed to make it back inside the bunker without disturbing anyone, Tesla crawled up on the couch and sighed. Now he felt tired, tired enough to sleep. It was a good thing he'd cleared things up with the Dixierats, Tesla wasn't sure what they would do while thinking of him as a legend instead of the Pikachu he was. Tomorrow would be another long day, there was so many things he had to get done that Tesla wondered if he could do it all in a single day. He had time, well some time. Assuming that the weather doesn't raid on his parade.

Tesla drifted off into sleep, he was out for the rest of the night.

**. . .**

"Wakey wakey!"

Ash opened his eyes in time to see Mark dump his Emolga on his face, the Sky Squirrel Pokémon's plush body crashed on his face and latched on with a death grip. Ash yelped and fought the blankets and covers, then fell off the couch. The shiny sprite let go and jumped back on Mark's shoulder.

"Told you that would wake him up." Mark said to Doc.

The Pokémon doctor nodded in agreement, "Where did you learn that?" he asked.

"Emolga crawled up my face while I was asleep, all that fur pressing against your nose and mouth would make you think you're in immediate danger."

"Emo." Emolga nodded.

Ash blinked and asked, "What time is it?"

Mark pointed to the clock, "8:30."

He turned towards the clock, sure enough the LED numbers said 8:30. Ash got up and folded the blankets and dropped them on the bed. He looked around, Pikachu was nowhere in sight. Cilan, Iris, and Axew were gone. But Tesla was still there, he sat on the couch biting into a hot pocket. The Pichu egg sat next to him, all wrapped up in blankets. The HDTV was on, tuned to the Unova Weather Channel. It was going through the day's temperature estimates and weather conditions for the cities in the Unova region.

"When was everyone up?" Ash asked.

"An hour ago," said Mark, "Everybody's in the kitchen eating breakfast, you like pancakes?"

Ash nodded, "I'll do with pancakes."

Mark stuck his thumb toward's the kitchen, "Grab a plate, we got plenty."

Ash walked into the kitchen and found several pancakes on a big plate sitting on the counter, with maple syrup and butter next to it. Iris and Cilan sat at the kitchen table, eating some pancakes while Axew and Pikachu nibbled through Pokémon food. Ash grabbed a plate and dropped a couple of pancakes on his plate, after adding a dab of syrup he sat down at the table.

"Morning, Ash." said Cilan.

"Morning," said Ash, "How's your arm."

"Getting better now."

"Everyone slept alright?"

"Yeah." Iris nonchalantly says.

"Axew." Axew added.

Ash turned to his Pikachu, "How you're doing, buddy?"

Pikachu smiled and cooed, "Pikachu."

Mark walked in and said, "There's a thunderstorm rising in the east. It's a big one, going to be dropping tornadoes and strong lighting. So we're in a thunderstorm watch zone over Dixie at the moment."

"How bad is it?" Ash asked.

"The storm wiped out somebody's farm, dropped a big tornado half a kilometer across and send it rolling over the farm. It uprooted every man-made structure out of the ground and send it spiraling towards the coast, nobody got hurt but they surely lost everything."

Iris's eyes bulged open, yet she said nothing.

Mark went back into the living room. The group finished their pancakes without conversation and stuck their plates in the sink, Axew and Pikachu finished their Pokémon food and handed their trainers their bowls. They stuck them in the sink as well. When they got back into the living room, they saw the harsh weather of the storm before them on the TV. A big tornado, as wide as a Pokémon arena, moved across the screen, sucking up dirt and debris as it goes. Doc sat on the couch, holding the injured Dixierat in his arms. The Pikachu was awake, but he was still tired. Tesla had finished his hot-pockets and stared at the TV, a smile stretching across his face.

"What are you smiling about?" Mark asked.

"I like storms," he said, "especially the ones with strong lightning in them."

"I think that's the only thing I ever hear you say you like, besides peanut butter."

"What about thunderstorms?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"In those really old days in Viridian Forest," said Tesla, "Several clans of Mice Pokémon would gather together when a thunderstorm rolls in. We all want to see it drop lightning, so, with our combined Thunderbolts, we blasted the storm with powerful rods of electricity. Guess what happens next."

"More lightning?" Mark asked.

"Nothing," Tesla answered, "nothing happens. They couldn't get it in their heads that they can't tamper a storm that was many times bigger than the damn forest. I only know of one occasion that happened to be a success. I was there. I watched as the Mice Pokémon blast the sky with enough electricity to light up Faraday City for a week. After a few seconds, something strange happened: All lightning and nearby thunder ceased.

"We wondered if we finally got it. Everyone sat there for at least a minute, and then the storm responded with a big blast of lighting," then Tesla added, "Right in the middle of the crowd."

Mark snickered.

"It gets better," said Tesla, "The lightning was so powerful it knocked out power in Viridian City, whole place went dark for three weeks 'cause the transformers in the sub-station had fried. But we didn't know that until the next day, we were more concerned with one of our own. The lightning stuck one of my older cousins. I never knew him personally, but he was well associated with my parents. After we saw him go down, we rushed to his aid. He was knocked out momentarily but he came to. The Pikachu couldn't remember what just happened. Well, he couldn't remember much of anything. That lightning strike wiped out his memories. Not only did he lost them, he couldn't make new ones. His hippocampus was fried by the lightning, along with a good chunk of his brain. He past away peacefully a few years later without recognizing his loved ones."

"Lightning does strange effects to electric-types," said Doc, "no _normal_ Mouse Pokémon could withstand that kind of power."

"I got struck by lightning before," Tesla wisecracked, "Came out unfazed and unhurt, I feel young for a few days every time it happens."

Mark stared at him in confusion for a moment, then shook his head, "Okay," he said, "What are we going to do today?"

Doc pointed to the wheelbarrow in the corner, "See that wheelbarrow?"

"Yes." said Mark.

"Take it into town and use it to collect Dixierats, then bring them back here."

"That simple?"

"Yup, that simple."

Ash asked, "So they know what we're doing, right?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"They'll know," said Doc, "They won't put up a fight or anything, they'll let you pick them up or they'll jump into the wheelbarrow themselves. Some would love it if you carry them in your arms."

"Cause they're that lazy." added Tesla.

Doc chuckled, "Ain't that the truth."

**. . .**

Nurse Joy walked into the room, she had a bowl of electric-type Pokémon food in her hands. She approached the battered old Pikachu as he slept in the bed. Her two Audinos stood by the door, awaiting instructions. The elder Pikachu was cleaned up and given a thorough examination, beside the past injuries, nothing new was wrong with him. Nurse Joy gave him a revival herb, a more refined-mixture to be exact. It did some good and eased the Mouse Pokémon's suffering, at least for the moment. Nurse Joy sat the Pokémon food by the bed and stroke the Pikachu's head. It stirred. She pulled her hand back and watched as the elder Pikachu opened his one eye. He looked up at her, his face showing no emotion.

"Feeling better?" Nurse Joy asked.

The old Pikachu shook his head no, it was the only response he'd given her since he came in yesterday.

Nurse Joy sighed, this was the _only _response she had ever gotten from him since he first came to Dixie 30 years ago. She remembered how it went. Several Pikachus helped him into the Pokémon Center, carrying a battered first aid kit on his back. The elder Pikachu knew how to fix up his wounds, even how to do it with one hand. Nurse Joy did a more professional job, properly washed the stub, cleaned out what was left of the poor thing's eye. It was hard on Nurse Joy, the state of the Pikachu plus the initial shock of a Pokémon she thought she would never meet. Initially she didn't know what happened to the Pikachu, until she heard about the train that derailed nearby. All the Pikachu it was carrying broke free and moved in nearby, creating what would secretly be known as Dixie National Park. Nurse Joy had to spend time in the library, brushing up her knowledge on the Mouse Pokémon variants and learning how they behave and acted in the wild.

According to what she learned from the textbooks, these Pikachus rarely travel in packs. At most, they're a mass group of individuals who operate around an individualist society. There was no form of leadership, or a structure of law. Everything ran on common sense, or what little common sense they had. The Dixierats were pests to start with. During the early days, a few came in expecting free food and a nice warm place to sleep for the night. Nurse Joy had to kick them out. Even though Pokémon Center services were technically free, they're reserved for those who needed it. Eventually they stopped coming in healthy, and started coming in with more serious problems. Once a month, one would come in with a serious injury, sometimes it was a broken bone or sprained joint. Once every few months, a Dixierat would come in bleeding, which require more serious medical attention.

Gunshot wounds were the most common injuries, Nurse Joy heard stories about the poachers picking them off in the forest. What kind of person would try to kill a poor innocent Pokémon? She had one case where a Pikachu came in with half its head blown off. Nurse Joy nearly screamed as the Pikachu, nonchalantly, walked in covered in his own blood and brain matter. Nurse Joy couldn't figure out why it hadn't died from the shot, but she does understand why the Mouse Pokémon wasn't in pain. The brain, ironically, has no pain receptors. Though pain is formed inside the brain, the brain itself can't feel pain. So any brain injury would go unnoticed unless they saw the damage themselves. The sight still gave her chills, but at least the Pikachu had good spirits. He sat down at her feet and smiled, while _bleeding_ from his head. Nurse Joy was quick in cleaning him up, but it incident stretched her local resources. She can't use outside sources, she was forbidden by the mayor to do so, since it would risk _exposing_ Dixie's secret residents. So Nurse Joy was lucky when Andy rolled into town that morning. After hearing what happened, Andy came into the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy led him to the injured Pikachu, "Damn," he commented when he saw the extent of the damage, "he didn't need that much brain to begin with."

Andy stopped the bleeding and stapled the Pikachu's skull back in place, saving the little guy's life. He spent weeks examining the Pikachu for any signs of disabilities, the Pikachu behaved and acted normally. Even responding as so. The Pikachu was discharged from the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy never saw him again.

She was lucky to have Andy around when she needed him, even luckier of his interests with the Dixierats. Hard to believe that the grandson of a Pokémon Master would show up without warning and save a life in a single day. Nurse Joy considered getting to know the man more, until she figured out what he does on his free time. She learned that Andy would go out, observe the Dixierats in their natural habitat and often spend time with them. He came out looking like a mad scientist who just had an experiment gone bad on him. Nurse Joy made the mistake at going out to his bunker 3 months ago and found Andy carrying a dead Pikachu into his house, she peaked in his kitchen and saw him dissect the thing on his kitchen table. The organs taken out and-

_Stop it_, Nurse Joy told herself, _that Pikachu probably died from natural causes._

The elder Pikachu sat up and looked around, his eye centered on the bowl of Pokémon food. Nurse Joy picked it up and handed it to him, "Here you go," she said, "Eat up, Pikachu."

The old Pikachu stared at the food for a moment, with his one hand he picked up a pellet and ate it one by one. Nurse Joy turned to the Audinos, "Get him what he needs when he asks for it," she said, "I gotta check on a few things."

"Audino!" the Audinos chirped.

**. . .**

The elder Pikachu couldn't understand. They fed him, they bathed him, they even gave him a bed to sleep in. But they didn't help him. Why didn't they help him? He told the Audinos repeatedly to help him, yet they didn't. Nurse Joy didn't. That great-niece didn't. Nobody didn't.

Why? Why won't anyone help him? He asked for their help, but all they did was gave him things that he could get elsewhere. That stuff he was already covered for, not even helping him get better. Instead, it made him feel worse and more alone than he actually was.

_Why won't they help me? _The elder Pikachu asked himself.

Whatever reason, they didn't. Oh well, he was used to being denied help. At least they gave him breakfast so he wouldn't go hungry for a while. The elder Pikachu finished his breakfast within 20 minutes, then turned towards the door. The Audinos were talking to each other, completely ignoring him. They always do. For the past 30 years, these Audinos understood what he was saying but completely ignore him. They took him to bed and tucked him in, but paid no attention to him. At times, the elder Pikachu would beg for their help but they would deny it. Deny it with _kindness_. Why would they do such a thing? They were suppose to help Pokémon, but they didn't help him. Why would they help everybody else, but not him? The elder Pikachu couldn't wrap his mind around it, the answer simply evade him.

The Audinos turned towards the elder Pikachu, looking at him with those adorable eyes, _"You need anything, Pikachu?" _one of them asked.

_"Help me." _the elder Pikachu said for the hundreth time.

_"You didn't say what you needed,"_ says the other Audino, _"You always said that but you never explained it. Tell us, what's wrong, __Pikachu__?"_

The elder Pikachu's jaw dropped. They hurted him, they hurted him with hurtful words. Why would they say those hurtful words? He felt the tears coming. The elder Pikachu held his head down and cried.

The Audinos jumped, then rushed to his aid, _"Don't cry, please don't cry!"_

One of the Audino's jumped up on the bed and hugged him, the elder Pikachu buried his head into its chest. He could feel those monkey-tail things touching his back and chest, _"I can't tell what's not wrong," _said the Audino, _"__T__his Pikachu is just too injured from past wounds. But I can tell what he's feeling. He has depression, and it ain't easy to treat for a Pokémon."_

_ "Do we have any herbs?" _

_ "Not one we haven't tried."_

_ "Let's try a Heal Pulse, a combined Heal Pulse might make him feel better!"_

_ "Yeah, let's try that!"_

The Audinos got on the bed and held each others hands, the elder Pikachu felt a powerful energy wave hit him. It dug deep into his bones, revitalizing every cell and nerve in his body. The elder Pikachu's eyes went big, his heart raced and his breathing sped up, _I gotta get outta here, _he thought, _I gotta get outta here!_

_ "HELP ME!" _he screamed at the top of his lungs.

The elder Pikachu jumped off the bed and leaped up to the edge of the window, _"Oh no," _one of the Audinos cried, _"Hit him with Rest, friend!"_

_ They want to put me to sleep, _the elder Pikachu thought, _No, I deserve to live!_

He managed to thrust the window open and leaped out, as he tumbled into the grass outside he saw Z's and bubbles fly overhead. The elder Pikachu panicked even more and took off, running on all fours as fast as his muscles could allow. He went around to the front and ran through the alley, then slowed down. The elder Pikachu pant as he laid against a dumpster. Great, first they insult him, then they tried to kill him. His morning was officially ruined.

_Why won't anyone help me!? _He asked himself again.

The elder Pikachu broke down crying, but kept it mostly to himself. He didn't wanna attract attention. It won't even matter anyway, since everybody always ignore him.

**. . .**

"I can't believe Tesla wanna lag behind," said Mark as he pushed the wheelbarrow, "He doesn't look tired or anything, he probably just wanna lay around all day."

"He's retired, Mark," said Cilan, "he doesn't move around as he used to."

"True, but I was there when the doctors at Faraday City cured his old age. He should feel young again, wanting to move around," then Mark thought for a moment, "Oh, now I remember. He has osteoarthritis, his joints still ache."

As the group walked down the dirt road, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He knew the Dixierats roam around here, but this feeling was different. Something else than the average Dixierat was out here, but . . . what?

"Is that you, Ash Ketchum," a voice called out from the trees, "is that you, Pikachu expert?"

Ash froze, the group stopped and frantically looked around, "Who's there!?" Cilan called out.

"A mutant freak who see's things. I used to be a Pikachu, but when I evolved," the voice paused momentarily, "I changed, I became the juggernaut of the Dixierats."

Ash remembered Tesla talking about a mutant Pokémon roaming out in the woods, "Tesla mentioned you yesterday." said Ash.

"I ran into him, on this very road. He got a taste of my stamina, I think I frustrated him."

"Where are you?"

"Right here."

A big Mice Pokémon dropped from the trees and landed before the group, landing with a heavy thud. Ash was stunned, he looked like a combination of every Mouse Pokémon in the evolutionary tree, "What is that thing!?" Iris yelped.

"Axew!?" Axew yelped, he buried himself in Iris's hair, refusing to come out.

"I'm the Mutant Mouse Pokémon, a one of a kind. Now I would go on and tell you all about my abilities, but talk's cheap. Here, let me show you. Have one of your Pokémon battle me, give its got!"

Ash grinned, nervously, "Alright," said Ash, "I'll battle you, let's see what you're made of."

Mark stepped aside and sat the wheelbarrow down, he nudged Cilan and Iris in the arm and gestured them to step back. They stepped to the side of the road, then Cilan asked, "Should we have a referee?"

"This ain't a Pokémon match," said the thing, "It's an introduction."

Ash dug into his pocket and pulled out Scraggy's Poké ball, "Scraggy, I choose you!"

He tossed the Poké ball out and Scraggy spawned between them, "Scraggy!"

"What's your name?" Ash asked the thing.

It grinned, "Rayovac Westinghouse, grandson of Tesla Westinghouse."

He stood up on his hind legs and tapped his belly, "Come on Scraggy," he told Ash's Pokémon, "Headbutt me right here, put all your backbone into it!"

Scraggy leered him hard, Rayovac wasn't fazed. The Mutant Mouse Pokémon just stood there with a grin stretching across his face.

"Scraggy," said Ash, "Head Smash!"

"Scrag!" he grunt.

Scraggy charged with full power, all of his strength thrown deep into his legs. Rayovac stance himself, ready to take the blow. Within seconds, Scraggy gave Rayovac probably the hardest headbutt he ever unleashed. Ash's friends gasped, Mark stood there grinning as Emolga watched in amazement. Ash and Pikachu's jaws dropped when Scraggy bounced back, the Shedding Pokémon tumbled backwards and landed on his back. His eyes in spirals.

Ray shook off the shock and said, "Damn, that was one heavy blow. That felt stronger than a full blown car collision," then he asked, "Is your Scraggy alright, Ash?"

Scraggy sat up, he shook the dizziness out of his head and grunted, "Scrag."

Ash held out Scraggy's Poké ball, "Okay, Scraggy, you had enough. Return."

The Poké ball shot a red laser and recalled Scraggy, Ash pocketed the Poké ball then turned to Pikachu, "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Pi!" he chirped.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and charged at Ray. He jumped and stuck out his tail, it glowed steel as he swung it around, "Pika_chu!_"

Ray stuck out his tail and swung it around, it also glowed steel. Since it was longer, it had a more leverage to it. Pikachu and Ray struck each others tails. Ash hoped they were even. They were not. Ray's tail canceled out Pikachu's and knocked the small Mouse Pokémon back, he squealed as he flopped on the ground hard, "Pikachu," Ash cried, "are you okay!?"

Pikachu leaped up on his feet, "Pika!"

The Mouse Pokémon wobbled on his hind legs, he panted as he glared at Ray, "That Iron Tail did a lot of damage," said Cilan, "If Pikachu get's hit by another one, he would be done for!"

"Ash," Mark called out, "Let's stop right there, Rayovac's going to clobber your Pikachu till he's mush."

"Throw a Thunderbolt at me," Ray urged Pikachu, "then we'll wrap this up."

Pikachu's eyes widened.

"Give if it all you got you rat!"

That insult got underneath Pikachu's skin, his cheeks sparked as his energies conger up, "Pikachu AH!"

A bright powerful Thunderbolt blasted out of Pikachu's body and struck Ray with the force of a falling meteor. Everyone held their breath as the lightshow lasted for 10 seconds, the Thunderbolt ceased and Pikachu dropped in exhaustion.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

Rayovac stood there, grinning, "That tickled," he said, "It did no damage to me whatsoever, I'm basically _immune _to all electric-type moves. Even against Tesla's power. Yes, he did knock me on my ass, but I got back up without a problem. I can go all day if you just use electric-type moves."

The Mutant Mouse Pokémon walked up to Pikachu and held out his hand. Pikachu pant as he stared at him for a moment, then grabbed his hand, "My friend," Ray told him, "you may be the only hope for the Dixierat's survival."

Ray helped him up and gave him a big hug. Pikachu yelped, struggling to breathe as the large Mouse Pokémon said to the group, "This Pikachu has a strong heart and determination, just what the Dixierats need."

Ray let go of Pikachu, he quickly rushed back to Ash and jumped into his arms, "What do you want?" Ash asked.

The Mutant Mouse Pokémon frowned, then got serious, "Ash, the Dixierats are on their last legs. The poachers are one thing, but their threat just exaggerate the bigger problem. We're _reusing _old genes, Ash, producing inbreds. You thought the Dixierats were that messed up, well look at me. I represent on how bad the inbreeding is. My genes were reused so much that I can't have children."

"What happened?" Cilan asked.

Ray turned to Cilan, "Selective breeding. Just imagine having a half-brother, who happens to be your own father."

"Oh my." Iris muttered.

"My Emolga's an inbred too," said Mark, "and so are my Plusle and Minun, they're weirder than sh*t."

"Em." Emolga nodded with a smile.

"Thank you," Ray blurted out, "someone who understands for once!"

Ash approached Ray and crouch down, then dropped a hand on his shoulder, "Doc told us to head over to town and pick up some Dixierats to bring back to his bunker, he want to give a few of them bubble baths and health checkups."

Ray nodded, "He does this every month."

"Can you help us persuade any that might give us a hard time?"

"It shouldn't be that difficult, Ash. The Dixierats are interested in your Pikachu, like I said, he is our only hope."

"Why?" Ash asked.

Ray chuckled, "I'll tell you about it later. I'll go with you and help gather up some of my idiot brethren. Besides, I'm overdue for a health screening anyway."

Ray jumped and looked up in the sky, like something popped out and startled him. Ash looked around, he saw nothing.

"Sorry," said Ray, "I'm schizophrenic, I can't stop seeing fireworks."

"You need anything, Ray?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked.

Ray sighed, "Just your promise that you won't leave without helping us, I don't want my family to fizzle out and go extinct cause of inbreeding."

"I promise I'll do the best I can."

A big smile stretched across Rayovac's face, "Okay, let's go take care of this chore Doc wants you to do."

**. . .**

The group made it back to town without further conversation, the locals glanced over at them, nodded, and turned back to their personal activities, "They know what we're doing," said Ray, "this ain't unusual."

"Okay," said Ash, "How are we going to find the Dixierats?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"You'll find them in the back alleys, usually sleeping or eating garbage. They rarely venture out into the street with people all around."

Ash nodded, "Well, this is going to be easy."

"It is easy, easier as pie. If they refuse, you can have your Pokémon lure them out. Preferably you use your Pikachu, since he already has a reputation."

_I'll keep that in mind_. Ash thought as he glanced at his Pikachu, the look on his face suggested he was having 2nd thoughts about this.

As the group approached the alley, a trash can stirred. The lid burst open and a Raichu popped out, it happily scooped up half-eaten scrap food and stuff it into its mouth. It tried to dunk back in to get more scrap food, but accidentally tipped the can over. Garbage and scrap food spilled everywhere as the Raichu tumbled out. It sat up and cooed, stuffing a hamburger into its mouth.

Ash glanced at the tail, the tip was bullet-shaped. The Raichu's a female. She got down on her knees and scooped up garbage with its mouth, downing them like it was starving.

"That Raichu has a big appetite." noted Cilan.

"This town is a giant buffet to them," said Ray, "Anywhere with a human population, these Dixierats will go. Even _normal _Mice Pokémon would make big messes. Pichus, Pikachus, and Raichus are pests, there's no question about it."

The Raichu ate all the food on the ground and padded its belly. Satisfied, she flopped on her back to rest and cooed, drifting off to sleep.

"She's done," said Ray, "let's pick her up and plop her in the wheelbarrow."

Cilan and Ash walked up to the Raichu and grabbed her arms and legs, they counted to three and lifted her up. Ash was surprised how heavy she was, the tendons in his arms stretch to their limits as he and Cilan haul her to the wheelbarrow, "Now I understand why we're using a wheelbarrow," said Ash, "These Raichus are heavy!"

"I can't hold her," said Cilan, "Quick, put her down for a second!"

They both sat the Raichu town and panted, Cilan flexed his bad arm and leaned against the wall. Ash rested his hands on his knees and groaned, "They're heavier than I remembered. Ugh, my arms are out of it!"

"The Dixierats are heavier than their Kanto counterparts," said Ray, "Here, let me show you muscle."

Ray picked up the Raichu by the arm pits and hoisted her over his shoulders, Ash was surprise how little effort he put into it. The Raichu's like Styrofoam to him, "My greatest strength," said Ray, "Serious muscle! I can take on fighting-types all day if I have to!"

"Don't bite more than you can chew, Ray." said Cilan.

Ray chuckled, "Tell that to the Dixierats."

The group moved on to the next alley, it was empty except for a green dumpster. Ash opened it and was just about to peak inside when a Pikachu stuck its head out, its eyes met his, _Just pick it up_. Ash told himself.

Cilan held up the lid as Ash scooped up the Dixierat, it smiled at him and cooed as he carried him to the wheelbarrow, "There you go," said Ash as he sat the Dixierat in the wheelbarrow, "be a good little Pikachu and sit there."

The Pikachu flopped on its back and laid next to the Raichu, then drifted off to sleep.

"That's two," said Mark, "There's gotta be more of them hanging around."

Cilan let the dumpster lid drop, "Where there's trash, theirs Dixierats."

"Pretty much." said Ray.

The next 3 alley ways didn't have any Dixierats, but the 4th one did. Two Pichus playing paddy cake with each other. Ash's heart warmed, they look adorable. The Pichus stopped their game when they saw them passing by, they both got up and rushed towards them, jumping into the wheelbarrow.

The group moved on towards the next alley, two Pikachus were hiding out next to the dumpster. One male and one female. Ash was just about to peak when Ray grabbed his pants leg, "Don't, you're too young to see what they're doing."

Mark stepped up and peaked around the dumpster, he smirked, "They have no dignity whatsoever. Step back, give them space and let them finish."

"What's going on?" Cilan asked.

Mark whispered into his ear, Emolga couldn't help but giggle. Cilan's eyes went big, his cheeks blushed red as he looked away.

Then they heard a Pikachu moaning in pleasure.

"I'll give you five Pokédollars if you try not to laugh," Mark told everyone, he held up the five Pokédollar bill to show he was serious, "Double if you show no emotion."

"Pi!" one of the Dixierat's chirp next to the dumpster, "Pi Pi Pi Pi Piii! _Piii! PIII!_"

Ray burst out laughing, then Mark. Cilan tried pulling out his hair as Axew and Iris blushed. Ash glanced at his own Pikachu, he too was blushing, _What is going on here? _He asked himself.

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

"Ash," Iris simply says, "you're such a kid."

Ash groaned, but said nothing.

He heard two Pikachus drop, Ash peaked around the dumpster. The two Pikachus lay on their sides, their faces blushing red as they breathed hard, "Whatever it is," Ash said, "I think they're done."

Mark picked up the two Pikachus and carried them to the wheelbarrow, when he drop them in with the other Dixierats the two hugged each other and sleep, "Aww," said Iris as she clamped her hands together, "they love each other!"

"You can say that again." Mark snickered.

Cilan punched Mark in the arm, nearly knocking his Emolga over.

"Ow, what was that for!?"

"You know." was Cilan's terse reply.

Just before the group head to the next alley, the Raichu stuck up her leg. She gave off a loud and heavy fart, so loud that the wheelbarrow vibrated. The Dixierats chuckled inside the wheelbarrow, giggling among each other.

Ash smelled the fart, it smelled like death. He covered his nose and stepped back, "Oh that stinks!" he blurted.

"Pika!" Pikachu yucked as he covered his nose.

**. . .**

The elder Pikachu got up and stretched his arms. Okay, it was time to head home. Head back to his little burrow, sleep off the rest of the day. He was tired, his joints were achy and his electricity wasn't flowing right. He doesn't expect the Audinos would go looking for them. If they do, well, he could always take down the entrance to his burrow and bury himself. He felt he lived long enough already.

_Maybe I should say my goodbyes first_, the elder Pikachu thought, _Wait, no. Nobody cares about me, they won't even acknowledge me._

That made a tear slide down his cheek, the elder Pikachu side and walked out of the alley. His arms and legs stabbing his nerves along the way.

**. . .**

"Hey, guys," said Cilan, "Look!"

Up ahead, a Pikachu limped out of an alleyway. It didn't look too good. When they got closer, the Pikachu stopped and looked at them. The group gasped, it was missing an eye, its left hand, and most of its tail, Iris stammered, "W-what happened to the Pikachu!?"

"Axew ew!?" Axew cried.

"That's the oldest living Dixierat," said Ray, "when the train derailed, he freed the Dixierats who were trapped from their cages while bleeding out. He even patched up his own wounds, which bought us time to get him to the Pokémon Center so the Audinos would do a more thorough job. The would later healed, but he's forever scarred from the event."

"He's depressed." said Cilan.

"For 30 years." Ray added.

Ash approached the elder Pikachu, just when he reached out the Pikachu started crying. Ash backed away and looked at Pikachu, "Can you cheer him up, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded, "Pika!"

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and approached the older one, "Pika Pika?" he asked.

The elder Pikachu simply said, "Pika."

"Help me," Ray translated, "He's saying to help him. I think he always told everyone, both human and Pokémon alike, to help him. He keeps coming back to the Pokémon Center because concerned Dixierats or local people kept bringing him there, Nurse Joy couldn't find anything wrong with him. They gave him a good charging, gave him healing herbs, but it didn't do any good. The damage was that deep, only a miracle can reach that far."

"Let's bring him back to Doc," said Ash, "see if he could do."

"Doc checked that Pikachu almost every week, he already checked him last Saturday. Maybe Tesla could help, maybe he could find out what's really wrong with him."

Ash reached out and picked up the elder Pikachu. He was surprised on how bony he felt. The elder Pikachu was weak, very weak. Ash gently sat him in the wheelbarrow, the other Dixierats glanced at him and sat up. The Pichus all gave him a hug, but the elder Pikachu didn't seem to acknowledge them. He just stared off into space with his one good eye, ignoring everything around him.

"Poor thing," said Cilan, "he's really hurt."

"I hope Tesla might help him." said Ash.

"Pika." Pikachu muttered.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	11. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 10_

"Here," said Tesla, "let me try something."

Doc laid the injured Pikachu before him, it was wrapped up in a blanket with its head sticking out. He looked like a Pikachu burrito, on ordinary circumstances this would've been adorable, however the Pikachu was ill and needed help.

"I'm going to go check on something really quick," said Doc, "are you going to be okay?"

"I'll live." said Tesla.

As Doc went outside, Tesla turned his attention back to the Dixierat.

He noticed the eyes had dark circles around it with the ears slack. It was lethargic, that was a sign that it was drained of electricity. A curse of being an electric-type. The lack of stored electricity could really cause damage to a Pokémon. The only cure was to charge him up, either from a generator or another Pokémon shares their electricity. Tesla decided to share some, since he had a lot stored in his system. It had been weeks since the last time he ever done a single Thunderbolt.

_Might as well avoid Overcharge_. Tesla thought, "Okay, let's see if I can cure this Pikachu."

Tesla extended out his hand, a bright purple spark of lightning came out and zapped the Pikachu for a fraction of a second. Being a unique Pikachu, Tesla had master his electricity in ways no other electric-type could do. Instead of coming out of his entire body, Tesla can vent electricity out of his thumb with the same amount of power in a short amount of time. This ability enabled him to win his Pokémon battles, though the legitimacy of his electrical abilities was still up to debate. Well, it doesn't even matter anymore. He was retired, and his trainer was dead. No way the Pokémon Battling Commission could touch him.

The Pikachu took a deep breath, his eyes flickered open and he looked around the room, _"Where am I?" _he asked.

_"You're safe now," _Tesla replied in the Pokémon language, _"you're in good hands."_

Tesla unwrapped the blanket and helped the Pikachu sat up, _"I was shot," _he said, then looked at his side.

_"Doc saved you, he fixed you up and I gave you a quick charge."_

The Dixierat looked at Tesla, he emanate confusion like steam, _"H-How long was I out?"_

_ "Since last night." _Tesla replied.

The Dixierat rested his back on the couch and sighed, _"__I thought I was dead, I'd seen my mate get shot . . . and my little girl."_

_ "I'm sorry."_

_ "I think they stepped on her head, she was just a tiny thing. I could've-"_

Tesla cut him off, _"It__'s not__ your fault, I'd seen this happen so many times over the years. I lost friends and family from the poachers."_

The Dixierat looked at him, his eyes were heavy from fatigue and grief, _"Who are you," _he asked, _"I don't remember seeing you around here."_

Tesla smiled, "The name's Tesla Westinghouse, your great-grandfather."

Like the other Dixierats before, this one's eyes shot wide open, _"The stories, they're true! You're a living a legend!"_

"I wish I wasn't."

_"Why?"_

Tesla frowned, "I lost my parents and siblings to poachers back in Kanto. They weren't killed. Instead, they suffered a fate worse than death. We were split up and I found myself in the Pokémon battling business, I later became so famous that a Pokémon breeder wanted a few samples from me. That's how I met Polly, your great-grandmother, we later produced some Pichus, which some, would later become the Dixierats."

The Dixierat said nothing.

"Look," said Tesla, "those stories you heard about me were exaggerated, some may not even be true. Some might have the truth overstated. Look, youngin, as bad as things are for you, you just can't quit. Your mate and children may be dead, but it ain't over. You can start over with a different strategy, as long as you get enough offspring into existence then you should be fine."

_"How many children did you have?"_

"140, I hadn't met a single one of them. Probably most of them might be either in their seventies and are breaking down, Faraday Island kept me going for a long time yet my children are at the mercy for old age. Like I said, I had friends and family die around me. For some, I was there from the day of their birth, to their last breath."

The Dixierat stared at a corner of the room for a moment, then turned back to Tesla, _"Can you help us?" _he asked, his sentence sounding more of a statement than a question.

_"Alright," _Tesla replied in Pokémon speech, _"I helped you, I saved a Pichu egg, and I'm trying to figure out where the f*ck these poachers are situated. For you, __y__oungin, you're going to be okay. My trainer's grandson just pulled you out from the jaws of death and brought you back, I just happened to be here to give you a charge of electricity."_

The Dixierat nodded, _"The stories came from Doc, he talks about how amazing you are in your battles__."_

_ "I was there when he was born," _said Tesla, _"he grew up with that stuff."_

Tesla heard the front door open, he looked over the edge of the couch and saw Bruiser walking in, "Hey, B." said Tesla.

"Hi." Bruiser muttered as he shut the door behind him.

The Raichu wondered into the kitchen and came out with a beer in his stubby hands, he sat down on the couch and pop the cap off the bottle with his teeth. He spat it out on the coffee table and chugged the beer down his gullet, "How's your morning?" Tesla asked.

"Woke up on the ground with a knot in my back," said Bruiser, "and breakfast was the usual garbage. I hate garbage."

"Not feeling it today, huh."

Bruiser looked at Tesla in the eye, "I don't think I'm ever feeling it in the mornings."

Tesla chuckled, "I know that feeling well, Bruiser."

The Raichu downed half the beer and sat it on the coffee table, "I heard a thing or two yesterday," said Bruiser, "I don't know which to start first."

"What's more interesting?" Tesla asked.

"Well, something happened at the Pokémon Center. Apparently some dumbass persuaded two Emolgas, both female, to use Attract on each other. One of them was being derpy and decided to smooch kiss the other, then her trainer photo-bombed the camera the moment the picture was taken. I think it's on the front page of the newspaper in a few days."

"And that didn't make your day?"

"I hadn't seen it yet."

The room went momentarily went silent.

"Well," said Tesla, "What's the other thing?"

"Heard the poachers crashed a flatbed truck carrying a cage full of Dixierats," said Raichu, "They got the cage out but the truck cannot be salvaged, that's going to delay their shipments a bit."

Another moment of silence.

"Seen Doc out there while coming in?" Tesla asked.

"He's tinkering around with that Tesla coil," said Bruiser, "He was having problems trying to keep the Dixierats off of it, maybe because it wasn't ready."

"What's he plan to do with it?"

"I think he's going to use it as a charging station for the Dixierats, he somehow got some chargestones from this special cage. Not sure how he got it, but he kept it in a secret place. Now I only know this because, being a curious rodent, I was nosing around and caught him burying the stones. He plans to use the chargestones to power the Tesla coil, providing a free source of energy for the coil."

"Had he ever tested it?"

Bruiser thought for a moment, "He had ran a generator on it to get it going once, just to see how it worked. What a light show that was."

Another moment of silence.

"Where's that kid and the pure-bred?" Bruiser asked.

"He's out doing Doc's chores," said Tesla, "he's collecting Dixierats for the usual health screen and bathing."

Bruiser shrugged, "No matter how many times you wash them, they still smell like sh*t."

That earned Tesla and Bruiser a laugh, even the injured Dixierat chuckled, "You know," said Bruiser, "I would love to use a bath, it's been a while since I last had one."

"Maybe there's some combs around here somewhere." said Tesla.

"There should be some under the sink, Doc always kept some there."

Doc came back into the room, Tesla and Bruiser gave him his attention, "I'm going to need some help setting up the kiddie pool," he said, "Two of them actually. We're going to have some extra hands this time."

"Sure," said Tesla, "We'll help. Where are the kiddie pools?"

"In the back, inside a locked shed."

Tesla turned to Bruiser, "Well this is going to be interesting."

Bruiser and Tesla got off the couches and followed Doc outside, leaving the injured Dixierat to sleep on the couch. The Pichu egg Tesla brought in sat inert in its bundle of blankets, showing no signs of movement of the Pokémon inside.

**. . .**

No matter how many times he hit the thing, it wasn't getting any squishier. Ralph Hendrickson kept smashing the butt of his shotgun into the Pikachu's stomach, the Mouse Pokémon yelped and grunt with each blow. He finished it off with a kick from his rubber-sole boot, the Pikachu tipped backwards. It spat out blood, murmured something unintelligible, then resumed crying.

"Pathetic little runt." Ralph grumbled as he stood over the Pikachu.

"Pika..." it weakly mumbled.

Ralph picked up the Pikachu by the tail and held it up. It was covered in scrapes and bruises, some fur sheered off, the eyes and face sunken in from weeks of torture. Ralph had his Joltik drained the rat's electricity to the point where it couldn't even move, then starved it for 10 days. He only gave it bread and water, then stuck it inside a small box where there wasn't anything but darkness. He'd done all he could to test the limit of this Dixierat, the only thing he hadn't do was poison or shoot it. Ralph carried the Pikachu back to the cage, it was a small 60 by 60 centimeter box, covered in rust and dried feces. Before Ralph stuffed the Pikachu back in, he held up his tail and smashed it against the cage. The Dixierat screamed when it gave out an audible pop. Yeah, that will make sure he won't go anywhere. No way it could do much with a broken tail.

Ralph shut the cage and looked for his Joltik, he found his Attaching Pokémon munching on an apple on a picnic table. Ralph picked it up and scratched its back, "Keep an eye on him, Joltik," he said, "When you drain him of electricity, make it like you're sucking his brains out as well."

"Jol!" the Attaching Pokémon happily chirped.

When Ralph took the Joltik back to the cage, the parasite leaped off his trainer's hand and crawled up on the Dixierat's cage. He sat on the top of his head like he was the king of a mountain. The Dixierat laid on his belly, his body going slack. Sooner or later, this Pikachu would call it quits and expire. Ralph saw the signs, the Pikachu had already given up. It was waiting for death to claim him. Might as well leave it to Joltik to take care of the pest, he sure loves sucking its electricity.

Ralph started off as a grunt in Team Rocket, he worked in the smuggling branch where he built up his criminal career on TR's primary business. Now he works as a supervisor in charge of smuggling unique Pokémon all over the world. His salary flooded his anonymous bank account from each successful shipment of Pokémon. What the geeks do with them, Ralph would never know. But he had no doubt this was well profitable, even better since they were hunting a foreign Pokémon who supposing doesn't exist in this region. If nobody knows, they would turn a blind eye. Bribing the police would be easy if they were to "accidentally" stumble into a shipment of this piss balls. The local Officer Jenny didn't like them, no need to try to bribe her. Ralph wondered if she even cared about them. But regardless, she was dedicated to her job. She had the authority to bust his operation, but she couldn't do that without giving away the secret to all of Unova. And that, would be bad for everybody.

This operation was similar to the secret world of espionage, a game played by the Cat Scratch and Mouse Pokémon. Only that both Pokémon's kept their personal quarrels to themselves, never letting them get out of hand. Maybe Ralph should bring in some Cat Pokémon to flush the Dixierats out, rats fear cats after all. Right?

He walked past several folding tables, reserved for skinning Mice Pokémon. The workers were skilled skinners, they picked up Dixierat cadavers and pulled their hides off with a few slices of a knife. Many of the Pokémon were shot, stabbed, some even crushed by being stomped on. No matter, any minor damage to their hides can easily be repaired with a little superglue and a skilled hand. Right now the tables were being cleaned, the workers had gone off on break and would resume working tomorrow. They left their recently skinned hides in three barrels. Each barrel filled with a certain Mouse Pokémon hide. Ralph reached into a barrel full of Pikachu hides and pulled one up, the hide was in good condition as it was in life. Though there were holes where the eyes should be, and the tails look a little bit deflated. Strangely, there were also holes where the red cheeks should been. Turns out the electro glands were thicker than the hide itself, its more of an exposed muscle than part of the skin. The glands can be removed and blended down to make batteries, which last three times longer than alkali metal ones. Unfortunately Pokémon-based batteries were illegal for sale, but not illegal to manufacture for personal use.

"Mr. Hendrickson." a voice called out to him.

Ralph turned and saw Vance, an expert hunter and survivalist. Vance had a muscular frame, fueled and toned by years of military experience. He wore the basic outfit as everyone else: Wilderness camouflage. Down to the boots.

"Vance," said Ralph, "what do you need?"

"We need a stronger set of rubber gloves," he said, "Some Dixierats had shocked a few of the men, the gloves they're wearing are too thin. They don't want to handle any more Dixierats until they get thicker gloves."

"Okay," said Ralph, "I'll call HQ and make the request later today, how's everything else?"

"No problems with the guns and transport, though a few Dixierats had gotten smart and started avoiding some of our older traps. Yet the newer ones are getting them like crazy."

"Figures, what are you using as bait?"

"Peanut butter," said Vance, "We mix in a little Valium in the jars and place it in the traps. They would happily feed on the stuff, even though their stuck tight."

"They like peanut butter?" Ralph asked, he thought they liked apples and berries.

"Usually the chunky kind, some Dixierats also prefer smooth. But overall, it's chunky."

_Odd, _Ralph thought, _I thought they like cheese or something._

"Keep me posted." he said.

Vance nodded, "Yes, sir."

**. . .**

The wheelbarrow was so stuffed with Dixierats that Mark had to put an effort to push it. Ash found it funny the way the Dixierats were positioned inside it. They were either sitting on each other's tails, backs, some even faces. Those at the bottom, including the only Raichu, seem to enjoy the warmth of their fellow family members, even when they gave off the occasional toot that smelled like death. Ash glanced at his own Pikachu, he looked at him and smiled. Despite yesterday's circus, the duo's day was going well. Ash wasn't worried about another Dixierat raid, though the Raichu occasionally eyed his Pikachu. She looked like she was interested, but not _that _interested. Ash realized he had no idea how Dixierat politics work, and his own Pikachu was at a loss. Whatever common sense he learned from his own kind in Kanto doesn't seem to apply here.

"This wheelbarrow can't take anymore Dixierats," said Mark as he struggle to push the wheelbarrow, "and this Raichu ain't helping."

The Dixierats burst out in deep laughter for a few seconds, while the Raichu herself laid inert. She didn't seem to mind Mark's comment. His shiny sprite Emolga jumped off his shoulder and landed on the Dixierat pile, she kicked back and relax among them. Mark stopped the wheelbarrow and sarcastically says, "Oh thanks a lot, Emolga. Thanks a lot!"

"Emo!" Emolga giggled.

Mark turned to the group, "Can this get any harder?"

Suddenly two arch's of light burst out of Mark's pockets, they both landed on the pile to form Plusle and Minun, laying on their backs with Emolga between them.

"You greedy little turds." Mark grumbled.

Ash couldn't help but snicker, even Iris and Cilan chuckled.

"Maybe I should jump on as well." said Ray.

Mark gave him a stern look, Ray muttered, "Shutting up now."

Mark grumbled under his breath the whole way as they head back to Doc's bunker, when they got back they found two large kiddie pools filled with water. Tesla and Bruiser were dumping jugs of bubble bath into the kiddie pools as Doc brought in buckets and scrubbers, "Doc," Ash called out, "we got some Dixierats!"

"Looks like you hit the motherload," said Doc, "I knew there's going to be a big house today."

Mark pushed the wheelbarrow next to the kiddie pool and sat it down, "One Raichu, 7 Pikachus, and 8 Pichus. This is going to be a busy day."

Ash reached in and pulled out the elder Pikachu, his body was slack as he stared off into empty space, "Hey, Doc. We need to be careful of this one."

Doc adjust his glasses to get a better look, "Well what'd you know, it's that old Dixierat again. Hold on to him for a moment, we gotta get the other Dixierats in first."

Emolga, Plusle, and Minun jumped out of the wheelbarrow. The Dixierats started getting up and leaping out of the wheelbarrow like a wave, the Pikachus and Pichu landed in the pools. Water and foam splashed everywhere, Ash quickly jumped back and missed the worst of it. Yet Cilan and Iris got soaked, Mark even got a face full of water. Ray got back far enough to avoid all off, he watched with a smile on his face. Tesla and Bruiser just stood there as they get splashed by water, they shook it off and dumped the rest of the bubble bath into the pools, "That should do it," said Tesla, "there should be enough bubbles for them to play with for the rest of the hour."

Bruiser climbed into the pool and sat down, "I only wish this is big enough to swim," he said, sure enough the water was only up to his chest. Not really much leg room to go around, "that way taking a bath is more easier."

The Dixierats laughed and giggled as they sat in the kiddie pools, Tesla just stood there watching them without much enthusiasm. Ash wondered what he was thinking, "Want to jump in, Tesla?" he asked.

Tesla looked up and said, "I already had a shower, besides, I prefer not to be in any body of water."

"Why is that?"

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"Simple," said Doc, "he can't swim."

Tesla shot a look at Doc, "Andy, you asshole!"

Doc smirked, "What?"

The old Pikachu glared at him, it was by far the most stern look Ash ever saw Tesla gave, "They don't need to know that!"

"What happened?" Mark asked, getting ready to laugh.

"Mark," said Ash, "Don't push him! If he doesn't want to talk about it, then he doesn't want to talk about it!"

Tesla shook his head and cooled down, "Back in my childhood, me and my family were enjoying a time at a river. My uncle threw me in the river, I caught a deep current and went under. It took such serious team effort to get me out, I don't remember much about the event since I blacked out. All I know was that I found myself laying on my back, spewing water as my mom resuscitated me. I didn't have any nightmares about it, but the event scarred me deep enough where the thought of pools, lakes, and rivers give me chills. During Irvin's time, battling in a water-type gym was a nightmare. I personally told my opponent to kill me if I were to go down. One time, Andy here scooped me up and jumped into the public swimming pool in Faraday City. I screamed and kicked, swearing in Pokémon while he floated there with a smile on his face."

"I even pulled him under," Doc laughed, "he literally broke down crying. I won a hundred Pokédollars from my grandpa from that."

Tesla's cheeks sparked, "You _what!?_"

Doc turned to Tesla, "I bet Irvin that I can get you to cry in the swimming pool, all your friends were in on it."

The old Pikachu looked up at the sky and gripped his ears, "Urgh," he yelled, "Why does everybody screw me over!?"

The Dixierats broke down laughing, they laughed so hard some of them went underwater and nearly choked on the water. Ray collapsed on the ground laughing, banging the earth with his only fist. Bruiser and the elder Pikachu were the only Dixierats not laughing, they just sat there, not paying much attention.

Tesla's face went red, but not from rage. Whatever anger this old Pikachu had was as gone as his youth, Ash saw he didn't have the energy to sustain anger anymore. The old Pikachu took a deep breath and picked up a scrubber, "Let's just get this over with."

**. . .**

The gang scrubbed the Dixierats for the rest of the hour, the kiddie pools slowly fill with shedded fur. The Dixierats chatted among each other, occasionally splashing Ash and his friends. Bruiser looked like he was sleeping as Tesla scrubbed his back, every time he took away the brush to clean it, it was caked with a handful of fur. The old Pikachu calmed down as he scrubbed, doing his best not to fall into the kiddie pool. Ash went on scrubbing the Raichu, she cooed as he scrubbed her lower back. Getting that sweet spot.

"Rai," she cooed, her face dropping a big smile, "Rai Rai Rai!"

"You like that, don't you?" said Ash.

"Rai." the Raichu nodded.

As if on cue, the Raichu unleashed another fart. Its contained bubble erupted up to the surface of the kiddie pool, when it burst into fresh air it hit Ash and Pikachu with a concentrated blast of gas from digested garbage and other kinds of horrors. Ash and Pikachu yelped as they fell back, their faces pucker from the stink.

"Ash!" cried Iris and Cilan.

Just when they try to reach them, the fart knocked them off-balance and sent them tumbling to the ground. The Dixierats laughed harder than ever before. Doc just sat there laughing, not doing a thing as Ash and his friends sat up, "Why?" Ash murmured.

"Raichu Rai Rai." the Raichu replied.

"She says, 'Better out than in.'" Tesla translated with an emotionless voice.

Bruiser held his head up and smiled, "That made my day."

**. . .**

For the elder Pikachu, his day was ruined. These random people came and took him away, promising to get him help. But instead, they gave him a _bath_. It was nice to have his fur cleaned, but that wasn't his concern. He wasn't convinced that Doc's new friends would help him at all. That pure-blood might be the Dixierat's salvation, but for him, he can't do sh*t. The elder Pikachu sighed, once again he met false hope. They won't help him, not one bit.

His one eye glanced around, past the chatty Dixierats and drama he centered on one Pikachu with goggles. Something stirred in the Pikachu's fertile brain, he couldn't figure out what it was. He stared at the goggle-wearing Pikachu for a few seconds till something clicked, _Tesla? _The elder Pikachu thought.

So this was Tesla, the Pikachu his mama told stories about? Could he be . . . it _can't _be!

When Doc finished scrubbing the elder Pikachu, he washed off the suds. He then crept to the edge of the kiddie pool and climbed out. Nobody noticed him wandering towards Tesla. He kept his head down, not wanting him to spot him early. When he got a closer look, the elder Pikachu saw the look in his eyes, _He felt pain_, he thought, _the same kind of pain I'm feeling!_

But there was no pain, it looked like there was but not anymore. It was too much to hope for, but this time the elder Pikachu was sure Tesla would help him. He brought the Dixierats to the world, surely he knew how to solve his problem. Tesla was decades _older _than him, yet he had the body and energy of a young lad. What was his secret? How did he ended his own pain?

The elder Pikachu got right next to Tesla, then touched his hand. The old Pikachu turned towards him, his eyes were as calm as an ocean at sunset, _"Can I help you?" _he asked.

The elder Pikachu nodded, _"Help me."_

Tesla did a quick scan over his body, then his eyes lit up, _"Are you the elder Pikachu I've been hearing about?"_

The elder Pikachu nodded again.

Before he knew it, Tesla hugged the elder Pikachu with all his strength, _"I'm sorry," _he muttered, _"I'm sorry I wasn't there with you and your mother, those bastards forbid me. But forbid me no more. I'm here now, and I'm going to help you. If I can't, please understand that I love you __and y__ou're not suffering alone."_

When the elder Pikachu heard those words, the pain that had buried deep in his chest faded away. He felt revitalized, reborn again. He couldn't believe it, Tesla had helped him when everyone failed.

The elder Pikachu buried his head into his shoulder and muttered, _"I love you, Dad."_

When the Dixierats heard those words, they ceased talking and turned towards them.

**. . . **

"What just happened?" Cilan asked.

The whole yard went silent, the only sound was the elder Pikachu crying in Tesla's shoulder. Ash couldn't figure out what just happened, he and his Pikachu glanced at each other, then turned back to Tesla, "Tesla?" Ash asked.

The old Pikachu looked up at Ash and spoke, "Ash," he said, "This here's the oldest of the Dixierats, and he's my son."

"I never knew that!" said Doc.

Tesla shot a look at Doc, "Of course you don't, Andy. You don't pay attention to sh*t."

Ray came walking back out of the bunker and saw the scene before him, a smile stretched across his face, "It's on the house tonight, guys!"

The Dixierats cheered, then started singing a tune. They were all in sync, they sang better than Ash's Pokémon playing musical instruments. Doc tossed the scrubber back into the kiddie pool and stood up, "They always sing that song, I could never get it outta my head!"

"What song is it?" Ash asked.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

Doc glanced at the Dixierats for a moment and said, "I think its called _To Arms in Dixie_, or something."

**. . .**

It was one of those moments where you tried so hard to look for something, only to find out it was there in your face the whole time. Officer Jenny groaned, "Why do I put up with you piss balls?"

The Dixierat just stared at her, a grin stretching across its stupid face. Behind him was an overturned trash can, freshly raided and cleaned of everything edible. The stuff he couldn't eat lay all over the pavement, ready to set off the sort-tempered fuse of Dixie's utility company. The Dixierat just stood there, guilty as charged, its plush little body sagging with fat and fur that had built up from a lifetime of eating trash. Jenny didn't wanna touch the Pikachu, yet again, she didn't wanna go near it. It took all her strength and will-power to resist the foul body odor of the feral Pikachu. She would rather breathe in a can full of pepper spray than smell this yellow rat's stench all day.

"Well?" Officer Jenny asked.

The Dixierat's smile faded into a neutral expression, he just sat there and stared at the cop, as if it was testing her patience. After a moment of silence, the Dixierat held up a hind leg and farted. It was loud, violent, and worst of all, smelled like feces laced with sulfur. Officer Jenny pinched her nose and growled, she wanted to hit the thing so bad but the mayor instructed her not, repeat: _not _to harm the Dixierats in any physical or psychological way. She considered leaving Dixie and look for another law enforcement job elsewhere, but with everything so wrapped up as it is, that wasn't possible.

Officer Jenny gagged and stepped away for fresh air, luckily the wind was blowing hard today. Most of the foul putrid stench was watered out within seconds. When she turned back to the Dixierat, the Pikachu took off, carrying a noticeable brown spot on his rear with him. Officer Jenny resist the urge to rip out her hair and stomp on the ground, she picked up the trash can and sat it back up. After picking up all the trash she pulled out a moist towelette and wiped her hands, then chuck it in the trash can.

_At least I'm getting paid for this._ She thought.

Jenny head back to the station and checked her inbox, nothing important. She then head back to the break room and slumped on the couch. She needed time to think. Officer Jenny stared out the window and watched the leaves on the trees swing back and forth, dancing with the wind. A beautiful day it was, she would open the window but couldn't. Dixierats would climb in and drink all the coffee and eat all the donuts. Made one big of a mess out of it. She made that mistake once, she wasn't making it again.

The officer turned her thoughts back to Tesla, the Dixierat founder. Those cold eyes of his still burning in her head. There wasn't a thing, not one damn thing, to compare him with the Dixierats. He was everything they're not. Intelligent, mature, and most importantly, civilized. Irvin trained him well to function in society, too bad the Pikachu was a sociopath. He had all the buttons to give off charm, yet he doesn't use a single one. Come to think of it, he probably had used some charm on Nurse Joy. Being a Pikachu has its perks. Jenny wasn't sure what Tesla got out of Nurse Joy, but sure did cause quite a stir. After poking around town for information on the old rat's whereabouts, a few said he ran off into the forest.

But where, where in the forest? Did he bushwhack, or ran off down Andy's personal dirt road? Officer Jenny had no clue, if this rodent was as cold as the database says, then he would be a tough nut to crack. But he was _civilized_. That was the key, the key to finding common ground with him. She closed her eyes. Yes, that was _the _key. He also does speak human speech. Pokémon who can speak human tend to act human, no matter how wild they are. Since this Pikachu was civilized, and old, he would be somewhere where he wouldn't strain himself. Older Pokémon tend to make their homes near water or near human civilization, or someplace where food and safety was more closer. Most of the time they would stay huddled in their shelter, sleeping off their days remembering the good times they had in life. Jenny wondered what kind of good times Tesla had, if he had any, it would be a life time ago. So if Officer Jenny bet he was camping out at Doc's place, probably sleeping on his couch and enjoying the peace and quiet...

_Screw it_, Officer Jenny thought, _might as well place Doc a call and see if he's there."_

The officer got up and head to the nearest videophone in the police station.

**. . .**

Having finished bathing the Dixierats, the group dried them off with towels before bringing them inside, where they use blow driers to finish the job. The Dixierats cooed and awed when blasted with warm air, they turned and twirl, holding up their arms so they get their armpits dried. Finally their fur was combed to get any remaining shedding left behind from the washing, they enjoyed it so much that some fell asleep.

Rayovac sat in the corner while tending to his cousins, instead of combing he gave the Dixierats a massage. Using his good hand and stub, he rubbed their backs till the muscles were relaxed and raw. Finished, Ray let the Dixierats go and moved on to others.

Bruiser took interest in the female Raichu, though he didn't show much enthusiasm he chatted with her for some time while combing her back. When finished, Bruiser took the female Raichu by the hand and head outside. Seeing this, the Dixierats giggled. Like something was going down.

Just as things quieted down, the videophone in the bedroom started ringing. Doc grumbled as he got up from the couch to go answer it. After he left the room, Ash turned to Tesla. The old Pikachu sat on the couch, leaning on his side as he stared at the Pichu egg. He looked depressed, alone with his thoughts. Ash's heart sank. The poor thing was stuck in the past, it held onto him with an iron fist. Ash wondered if he could persuade that fist to loosen his grip, or partially, just to give Tesla a break. He got up and sat on the couch, then scratched Tesla's back, "Are you okay, Tesla?"

Tesla turned around, his eyes drooped, sunken into his skull like he hadn't slept for days, "Thanks for defending me back there, nobody really had when I try to put up with their teasing. I'm . . . I'm just tired, is all."

"You need anything to drink?"

"No, no I'm good. I just need to rest is all."

The disfigured elder Pikachu leaped up on the couch and snuggled next to Tesla, the old Pikachu wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and pulled him close, "Pika Pika Pika," the elder Pikachu said, "Pikachu."

"The poor thing went through life as a lab rat," said Tesla, "Who knows what chemicals the scientists injected into his system."

Ash was aghast, "Why?"

"Well, Ash, Mice Pokémon have a similar biology to that of humans. They're a better substitute when scientists are looking to test drugs to cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes. They're often fed, kept safe, unless the experiment says otherwise," Tesla snickered, "Of course, all for the good of mankind. Yes? Who knows how many of my descendents are being used as lab rats. Maybe the chemicals messed up the Dixierats' biology, probably why they're so dumb and such."

Doc came back to the room, "Tesla, Officer Jenny wants to speak to you at the station."

"For what," Tesla asked, "is it about me messing up that welcome sign?"

"Uh, no. She just wants to talk to you, she figured you can speak and such."

"All Pokémon speak, it's just that they don't speak two languages."

Doc walked up to Tesla and pressed his thumb against his gauze bandage, "When's the last time you changed this gauze pad?"

"Never."

"Here, let me change it."

Doc went to the kitchen and came back with a small first aid kit, he sat down on the coffee table in front of Tesla and opened it up. The old Pikachu held still as Doc pulled off the bloodied gauze pad off Tesla's forehead, finding the stitched gash underneath, "Damn, Tesla, how could you do this to yourself?"

"Old habits I guess."

Doc sighed, "No wonder I didn't notice this before."

Doc tossed the bloodied bandage in the trash can and pulled out an alcohol swab, he tore the package open and cleaned up the stitched gash. The old Pikachu didn't flinch from the burning sensation of the alcohol, "Who stitched it?"

"Nurse Joy." said Tesla.

"She did a good job."

Doc tossed the swab in the trash can and pulled out a fresh gauze pad, he tore it open and added some antibiotic ointment to the pad. He then pressed it against the stitched gauze and taped it in place, "Go to the station and speak with Officer Jenny, she said you're not in trouble or anything."

"Okay then, I'll go. I have nothing better to do than stare at my relatives all day," then Tesla added, "While I'm out, you need anything done?"

"Yes," said Doc, "I need someone to take the injured Pikachu to the Pokémon Center, but he can't walk."

Mark sat up, "Here, I'll take him. Since my grandfather was responsible in taking care of Tesla, I'd inherited that responsibility to take care of Tesla's own great-grand kids. It's a family thing, as much as I hate to admit."

Mark scooped up the injured Pikachu off the couch, "Come on, Emolga, let's go head to town."

"Emo!" chirped Emolga.

As Emolga followed Mark out the door, Tesla asked, "You sure you'll do fine, not bust your head open when I'm gone?"

Doc laughed, "You bust your head open!"

"My skull's stronger, but your was cracked so bad I _literally _saw your brain. I kid you not."

"I'll do fine, Tesla. Besides, I'm an old man now."

"Being in your fifties makes you middle-aged, not entirely old. Believe me, I know what _true _old age feels like."

"Sure, you do."

Tesla jumped off the couch and turned to the elder Pikachu, "Pika Pika Pi." he spoke.

"Pi!" the elder Pikachu let out a soft cry.

"I'll be back before you know it, just stay put."

The elder Pikachu gave a sheepish nod, as Tesla walked out the door it laid down on the couch and tucked its face under an arm. Ash turned to Doc, "Why did you have to tease him like that?"

"About what?"

"That he can't swim."

"Well, as far as I remembered, everyone who knows him personally teases him some way or another. Like waving a jar of peanut butter over his head and watch him beg for it," Doc slumped on the couch and added, "Now the prime reason why I tease him, is that he show's little or no emotion at all. When he's calm, at a neutral state, he just sits there. He won't respond when you call his name, so we all tease him and get him going so we could interact with him."

"But he just talked to me." Ash insisted.

"That's because he trusts you, he knows that you won't screw him over for nonsense. You're one of few people who walks this earth that could have an active conversation with."

**. . .**

_I lost him, _the female Pikachu thought, _I lost the kid, my heart's hurting!_

Stricken with despair and grief, the Dixierat sat in the alleyway crying. She looked everywhere for the Pokémon trainer, but he was nowhere to be found. After searching for an hour, the female Pikachu gave up. With her heart breaking to pieces, she sat in the alleyway and tried to mend it. She thought she found love, _real _love. But it evaded her, for now. She knew he was still in the area, knew he would turn up. So why was she crying? Why was her heart broken after not one, but two failed attempts to meet him?

_Why, _she asked herself, _why am I hurt?_

The answer came to her: She had been denied love for too long. Too long! The female Pikachu was getting desperate, eventually giving up searching love in her own species and went looking for potential love with other Pokémon. Even humans. But she doesn't belong here. Mice Pokémon are foreign in Unova, completely alien. If the outside world were to discover her tainted breed, they would snatch them up and lock them back in cages. Oh no! Tiny cold cages laced with tetanus! The female Pikachu shivered from the thought. She'd seen how the humans – the poachers, she corrected herself – done to her brothers and sisters and cousins and uncles and aunts and so on. Done them into rubberized cages, stab them and shock them with custom-made prongs – highly tuned so they would hurt electric-types. Hurt, was that even possible? Possible for electricity to _harm _electric-types!? The female Pikachu grabbed her red cheeks and squeezed them, she gasped in horror as her back slid down the brick wall, then flop on the ground.

She didn't wanna suffer the same fate as those poor Dixierats, the female Pikachu want a ticket out and love was it. And this kid from who-knew-where would help her out of this tiny town to freedom. All she need to do was meet him, face to face.

_"But where is he," _the female Pikachu asked the blue sky, _"where is the kid!?"_

Doc might know. Yes, he might know. The kid might have known him, and that Tesla – the Dixierat Ultima – might know him. Doctor Westinghouse knows everything that needs to be known in this town, so he _should _know where he was. Right? The female Pikachu sighed, it was a long shot, but it was better than sitting on her ass and wallowing in her own grief. She got up and ran across the street, then started jogging down the dirt road towards his bunker.

**. . .**

The female Pikachu missed Mark and Tesla by about 5 minutes, they'd walked into town without conversation. They didn't even looked at each other along the way over, like the other didn't existed. Mark and his Emolga was focused on the injured Pikachu, who slept in his arms. Tesla just walked along, two-legged instead of four. Strangely he was more used to walking on two-legs than four, ever since he learned how to talk. Though many Pokémon can walk on two legs, Tesla does it in such a way he could be human. Well, he moved like one.

"If you need me to break you out of jail, just holler." Mark told the old Pikachu.

"No one has ever done that for me before." Tesla thought, he couldn't remember the last time he was imprisoned against his will. Just the first, which still give him chills thinking back at it.

"Good luck." said Mark.

Tesla shrugged, "Whatever."

The two diverge, Mark went to the Pokémon Center and Tesla went to the police station. The old Pikachu approached the Dixie Police Department, he wondered why it was called _police _instead of _sheriff_. Due to a town this size, especially one where everyone knows everybody, it would've been more appropriate. Tesla pushed open the glass doors and walked inside, a man sitting at the reception desk was busy typing away on his computer, "Hello," Tesla said, "I'm here to see Officer Jenny."

"Around back," the man said, not looking up from his screen, "I'll page her for you."

With a press of a button and a few words, Officer Jenny came out. The look in her eye was a mix of curiosity and anger. Tesla instantly knew what she meant, she'd been dealing with his descendents for who knew how long. She was on wit's end, amazing she hadn't lost it yet.

"You're Tesla Westinghouse?" Officer Jenny asked.

"I'm a talking Pikachu wearing goggles," said Tesla, "is that even a question?"

The receptionist finally looked up, after seeing who Tesla really was he discreetly saved his work and shut off his computer before creeping to the backroom. His eyes bulging along the way.

"No," said Officer Jenny, "I suppose not, can you come with me in the back room please?"

"An interrogating room?" Tesla asked.

"No, just my office."

_A nicer version of an interrogating room, _Tesla thought, but didn't say, "Sure."

Tesla followed Officer Jenny across a sea of cubicles to her office. It was a small room, a simple desk with few personal adornments. The walls were white, devoid of any paintings or posters. Tesla wondered if all Officer Jennys throughout the world had offices similar like this, they're related after all. The old Pikachu sat down in the cushioned chair in front of her desk, Officer Jenny took a seat at hers. She folded her hands and hunched over, the wall clock's ticking bounced around the room for a moment, "Okay," she said, "First of all, why are you here in Dixie?"

"I have an old friend here," said Tesla, "Andy Westinghouse, Irvin's grandson. He's the Pokémon Doctor who lives out in the woods."

"How long you known him?"

"Since he was born, I was there when his family started passing him around to hold him. I watched him grow up and become the doctor he is, shame that he inherited his grandfather's byproduct. AKA, my descendents."

"For thirty years," Officer Jenny began, "The Dixierats ran around the outskirts of town, like they owned the place. Sometimes they venture in for food, you should see how big they get from the garbage they're eating. Almost everyday, I spend my time shooing them away than enforcing the law. Those Dixierats always wanna test me, seeing how far it would take to get me to snap. Under very stern orders by the mayor, I'm not allowed to shoot any. Some days, I get a trigger finger so itchy I couldn't have my sidearm on me."

Tesla leaned forward, "If it makes you feel any better, a hundred or so Dixierats were massacred yesterday. Every Mouse Pokémon there were killed, electro glands and tails hacked off. Some had their hides skinned off their bodies."

The old Pikachu noticed he struck a nerve, caught between sympathy and anger, Officer Jenny sat back in her chair, "Poachers," she said, "Don't know how they learned the town secret, at least they didn't leak it to the media. That would've been bad."

"If you hate the Dixierats so much, then why don't you just leave? Find work elsewhere?"

"I sworn an oath, I simply can't quit. Though I'm still on the lookout for an open position in law enforcement elsewhere in Unova."

Tesla raised an eyebrow, "Had you ever venture out into the forest to do investigations?"

"No," said Officer Jenny, "Not enough people, and we can't call for outside help either. That would expose the Dixierats, so we're practically on our own here."

"And out-manned," added Tesla, "there are more poachers than cops here."

"May I asked you something?"

"Sure."

"How often do Pokémon trainers try to catch you?"

That question pissed Tesla off, yet he didn't show it, "That, miss, is none of your business. Just so you know, they all fail to catch me."

"Well," said Officer Jenny, "is it common or..."

Tesla said nothing.

"Okay then. Tell you what, just how do you view your own family here?"

"They're idiots."

"So you don't like them."

That was no question, "As much as you like them." Tesla replied.

The room went silent. Officer Jenny nodded and said, "So you don't like them, yet you come here anyway. Why, Tesla?"

"They're all I have left, as much as I don't like them they're better than nothing."

"So," said Jenny, "Let's say they're all smart and mature as you when you met them, what would you do?"

"I'll be bored out of my mind, and I would be gone before they would even notice since they would probably not even be there. They would've moved on to other greener pastures, reproduce and spread throughout Unova. But they didn't, they love being here because of the free food and places to sleep and hang out. Even if they know of places where there aren't any poachers, they wouldn't go. Playing cat and mouse with poacher's a game to them, always had been for we pests," then Tesla added, "Why are you asking me these questions?"

"Cause you brought them to the world, I was wondering if you have any compassion for them. Maybe you could help me control their behavior so they won't make a muck out of everything."

"If you want to steer them to your favor, you're going to need to catch a Dixierat that knows the tricks and trade. Preferably you get one that's really friendly, and when I mean really friendly I mean _really _friendly. One that doesn't get angry or snap at you with Thundershock. Not only do you need to get one that's _really _friendly, you must _be _friendly to it. You can swear as much as you like to them but you must at least show compassion 100% of the time, or else that Dixierat won't do you any favors."

"So I just have to go out and capture one." said Officer Jenny, again, that was a statement.

"Yes, once you have a Dixierat under your influence it would start hanging around your station, assuming you don't keep it in its Poké ball. It would, somehow, tell you what the Dixierat's are feeling. Or its clan or something. These Dixierats know sign-language believe it or not, if you know sign it might get a message across."

Officer Jenny nodded, "One last question, why do you hate your own family?"

Tesla sighed, "I really want to love them, but I can't. I just don't belong here, I'm from another time and another region. I have to constantly adjust when meeting a new generation, and it always more harder to learn one generation than the last . . . Either that, or I'm just too old to understand. I just can't yet consider them my family, they all view me as a celebrity figure than their elder. I have to change their view of me, somehow, so that I would be accepted as their close relative and not just some rat on TV."

Amazing that the Dixierats Ash brought to Irvin's house didn't mind his presence, they were too stoned since they were going to get a bath and a place to nap for the afternoon. Tesla waited the entire time for at least one Dixierat, one, to rush him and check him out. It didn't happen. The only Dixierat there who viewed him as an elder was the oldest Dixierat in the park, which was his own son. He knew who he was, knew he was his father. Just being in his presence was enough to cure whatever depression the elder Pikachu was suffering, Tesla wondered if his other children felt the same way. Maybe felt something close do a depression, or felt that they're missing something. Like a father figure, assuming they hadn't found one yet. Tesla Westinghouse was the legendary Pikachu of Faraday City, a position he deeply hated more than anything. He didn't wish to become famous, didn't wish to be unbeatable. He just want a quiet life his family, but something wasn't letting him, something in his heart he couldn't yet understand.

_You gotta let it go, Tesla, _the old Mouse Pokémon told himself, _The past is dead, but you live, you gotta liberate yourself from your trainer's curse._

But it wasn't his trainer's fault, Tesla noted, Irvin actually saved him from a lifetime of despair. Now he was gone, the old Pikachu was free. Free. Yet somehow he couldn't feel love, not ever since the last time he saw Polly. With all these thoughts in mind, Tesla didn't wanna be at the station any longer. Law enforcement oppressed him for two decades, trapping him for a fate of their own choosing. Tesla won in the end, but that doesn't mean other cops got the message. The walls of Officer Jenny's office started itching against his fur, the gnawing feeling grew to a point where it itch all over. It took all of Tesla's willpower not to scratch . . . and it was limited. Yeah, he had to get out, and get out quick.

"Can I go now?" he asked Officer Jenny.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	12. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 11_

"Here you go, Nurse Joy," Mark said as he handed the injured Dixierat to the nurse, "Doc wanted him to be under your care till he recovers."

"The poor thing," said Nurse Joy, "what happened to him?"

"He got shot, the stopping power of the bullet knocked him in a deep trench. He would've died, hadn't Doc walked by."

Nurse Joy cradled the Dixierat and stroke its cheek, "You okay, little fella?"

The Dixierat's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at Nurse Joy, trying to keep them open as he whimpered, "Pika..."

She turned back to Mark, "I'll take it from here, thank you for your compassion, Mark."

"Just doing what I can." he said.

"Emo!" the shiny sprite chirped.

Even though he resented Tesla and the responsibility that comes with him, he still did his part in taking care of his descendents. _His _descendents. Part of Mark asked himself if he should really be helping the Dixierats. Sure, they're alright buggers. Kinda remind of his own Pokémon. But they prove demanding, a drain on resources. Mark wondered why these Dixierats can't take care of themselves. He understand that on occasion, a Dixierat needs medical attention, but do they really need a Pokémon doctor to occasionally give them a bath? Can they just do that in a river? Where the water continuously flows? Hm, Mark recall that the nearest river is 40 kilometers away. No Dixierat would make such a walk.

"Will he be alright?" Mark asked Nurse Joy.

"Andy fixed him up for the most part," said Nurse Joy, "I'm going to put him to bed and monitor him for improvement. He's the 3rd Pikachu I have today."

"Are the Dixierats your usual patients?"

Nurse Joy nodded, "Yes, they are. I rarely get any other Pokémon here."

"What's your personal view on the Dixierats?"

The nurse sighed, "Poor things, they're highly dependent on this town for food and water. I know they like to toy with Officer Jenny a lot but they have a lot of respect for me, I help them when they come."

"What about Tesla?"

"He came in here yesterday, sobbing and crying. I figured he was faking it but I couldn't help it when I saw the gash on his head. I patched him up, then he was gone when I had my back turned. I don't know why he would leave like that."

"In his day, he used to be a common patient in the Pokémon Center in my hometown. I saw the printout when they CAT-scanned his entire body, it looked like I'm looking at a skeleton that had been broken apart and put back together with staples, wires, and screws. He was a vicious battler, I wonder if he had any long lasting pain from those old injuries. Hard to tell, cause Tesla's so tired all the time that he doesn't react much."

"Emolga." Emolga added.

"Speaking of a broken Pikachu, I had one ran out earlier. Jumped through the window, giving my Audinos a panic attack. He's quite easy to spot, he has one eye and missing a hand."

"Doc has him, does he have depression?"

"Yes."

"Tesla cured it, the fellow just walked up to him, said a few words, and Tesla just hugged him. I never seen him show such compassion before."

Nurse Joy's eyes shot open, "I've been treating that beat up Pikachu for 30 years, I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him."

"He just wanted to meet Tesla, had dreams about him. Believe it or not, that one-eyed Pikachu is Tesla's son. One of one-hundred forty children. All the elder Dixierat needed was love from a parent."

Nurse Joy placed a hand over her chest, "Aww, the poor thing!"

Mark looked around, "So you got everything covered here?"

"Yes, everything's covered. Thank you again for bringing this little guy over, I'll tuck him in bed right away."

Emolga giggled, "Em."

"Alright," said Mark, "I'll see you later."

Mark turned around and walked out the Pokémon Center, heading back to Doc's house.

**. . .**

Bruiser came walking back into the bunker, he fell over after taking two steps inside. Ash rushed over to him and helped him up, he was hot and sweaty, like he just ran a marathon, "Are you okay, Bruiser?" he asked.

"Never better," he said, "just leave me be."

Bruiser walked into Doc's bedroom where he jumped up on the bed, Ash watched as Bruiser padded the pillow then rest his head. When the trainer turned back to the Dixierats, those still awake were snickering to themselves. They glance up at him and tried to hide their laughter, Ash was confused, what was so funny that got the Dixierats worked up?

And where was that female Raichu?

Ash stepped out of the bunker and glanced around, he saw nothing but the kiddie pools. He walked around the bunker and checked the nearby bushes. Ash heard something pant, he pushed some leaves behind and found her. The Raichu lay on her belly, her eyes droopy with her tongue sticking out. She looked tired, really tired. Most of her energy was zapped or something, "There you are," said Ash, "Come on, let's get you back inside."

"Rai..." the Mouse Pokémon muttered.

Ash grabbed it by the sides and lift her up. She weighed a ton, Ash struggled with all his strength to hoist her over his shoulder. Fur and flesh enveloped his arms as he carried the Raichu back inside. The Dixierats looked on as he flopped her on the couch, then slumped beside her, "Where did you find her?" Cilan asked.

"Around back," Ash said, "she was out of it or something."

The Dixierats gave Ash a look, then glanced back to each other. They quietly giggled among each other, Ash's own Pikachu blushed and huddled by his side, "What's so funny?" Ash asked.

Ray giggled, "I'll tell you about it in a few years, you're too young to understand what just happened."

"What?"

"Ash," said Iris with a stern voice, "let it go."

"Axew." Axew added with a nod.

Ash looked up at the ceiling and groaned, _Why isn't anybody telling me anything?"_

_**. . .**_

The female Pikachu tread across the dirt road, her head held low while leaving a trail of tears. She sniffled as she covered some ground. Just halfway there to the bunker, a thought came to mind. What if Doc had no knowledge of the boy and his Emolga? Unaware of his existence. The Dixierat gasped, if that was the case then she was wasting her time. Wasting her time for nothing. She won't track him down and sooner or later, disappear off to some other place. Heading back home maybe. Her chance at love would be lost. Gone forever.

No, it's not fair! Not _fair!_ Everyone deserves love, but why was she denied love! Why can't she have someone to care for? And no one to care for her? Where was the appreciation? The motivation? All that good stuff that comes with compassion and friendship? Where was it!? The female Pikachu wiped away a tear and sighed. She'd been at this for years, ever since she left home. She couldn't remember where her parents are now? Dead? Probably, Dixierats come and go in the Dixie. The average lifespan for a newborn Dixierat is two weeks, and for the clever ones who made it to adulthood: Two years.

_Or two seconds. _The Dixierat thought, recalling one Mouse Pokémon who got killed 5 seconds after evolving into a Pikachu. When was it, fifteen years ago? A stray bullet that some idiot fired into the air burrowed into the Dixierat's head and blew out his mouth. If there was a time to feel both stupid and horrified, _that _was the time. Death by stray bullet from the sky was so rare, getting struck by lightning was more common. Luckily for Dixie, that was the only time any Mouse Pokémon caught a stray bullet in the forehead.

The female Pikachu let her mind drift off to other things, which lessen the grief a bit. As beautiful the morning was, it wasn't going to last. A thunderstorm was on its way. A super cell they say, with a chance of tornadoes. She heard snips of the weather report in town, not enough to form a complete picture but enough to get the message. Dixierats love thunderstorms, not surprising since they were Mice Pokémon. These natural lightshows gather Dixierats to the highest point in the park, where they stuck out their arms and dance and sing. Some hoping to get _struck _by lightning, which was more powerful than any electrical attack. 3 million volts of power, they say, coming down on a Dixierat's head was a symbol of strength. Assuming that Dixierat could survive overcharge. She hadn't seen any Mouse Pokémon explode from storing too much electricity, just heard stories about it. They say that the explosion was the equivalent of a hand grenade, destroying and/ or electrocuting anything up to 5 meters. And _that _was from a tiny Pichu. The damage was far greater for a Pikachu and Raichu, the latter more powerful than the former. Both could produce big craters as big as kiddie pools. The female Pikachu heard of one story that a Raichu got Overcharge after getting struck by lightning, they say the explosion was so big that all was left of him was his liver, which was found stuck on top of a sycamore tree.

Talk about getting vaporized.

Despite the risks of these severe thunderstorms, it was also a great time to search for a mate. Pikachu and Raichus check each other out while Pichus sit back and watch, learning the tricks and trade of their parents. The female Pikachu looked forward of heading back to Dixieland's highest point, maybe she could get a mate during the thunderstorm. It wasn't far from Doc's bunker, just a walk through a maze of trees and trenches up a hill. If she couldn't find the kid-

_Wait a sec_, the Dixierat thought, _what's that smell?_

This smell was familiar, very familiar. On occasion, she smelled it in trash cans throughout town. Sometimes she smell it out in the park, but not as often. The Dixierat stopped and stood on her hind legs, sniffing the air. Her mouth watered, it smelled like food. Her rodent instincts told her to seek it out. But first, she had to figure out what it was. She went through her personal memory bank, through all the food she smelled and eaten. It took a few seconds for the female Pikachu figure it out.

_Is that peanut butter?_

**. . .**

"He did what?" Cilan asked Doc.

Doc laughed, "Tesla thought it would be funny to put laxatives in the Pokémon food, I ran out of the house before I saw the final result. I think it made it on the news the next morning."

Iris and Ash nervously laughed, their walking Pokémon simply blushed. The Doc was funny and cool, but sometimes he shared a _little _too much wisdom. One thing Ash really wanna know was his advice to become a Pokémon Master, he came all this way to hear his knowledge. Ash already done his work, he got him his cleaning supplies and helped him wash several selected Dixierats. Right now he was going through the Mouse Pokémon, giving them a physical examination. The Pichus and Pikachus cooed when he checked their eyes and ears, they even opened their mouths to let Doc see their throats.

"Doc?"

"Yes, kid?" said Doc as he examined another Dixierat Pikachu.

"I've done what you've asked, can you please tell me what tips I need to know to become a Pokémon Master?"

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked.

Doc chuckled, "You sound so eager."

"I am!"

"It's not like you can do it all overnight, it would take a quarter of your life to figure it all out. But if you insist," he picked up the Dixierat Pikachu and held it in front of Ash, the Mouse Pokémon smiled, its tongue hanging out in a derpy expression, "Take a look at this Pikachu, see how happy he is?"

"Yes." Ash nodded.

Iris and Cilan leaned forward as Doc says, "This Pikachu has no worry, no stress, not a concern in the world. He is surrounded by family, his brothers and sisters, his uncles and aunts, his cousins and 2nd cousins. He has the best friends – like you – he could ever have. Right now, going on in his melon, he is at comfortable and happy. You believe all Pokémon should feel happy with no pain to hold them down?"

"Yes." said Ash.

"Pi." Pikachu nodded.

Doc leaned toward Ash, holding the Dixierat close to his chest, he spoke in a dark poetic tone, "What if I told you that most of the Mice Pokémon, born right here in Dixie, had their first impression on humanity by staring down the cold barrel of a shotgun?"

Ash froze, he let Doc continue, "The poachers out there killed this Pikachu's parents and grandparents, in _front _of him. Their brains blown ground meat from a twelve-gauge slug. He was a Pichu then. He did not shed a tear, nor spend weeks grieving for his lost. He had seen our species torture his own, killed them even. But he held no grudge against us, you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because of three things," Doc held out his index finger, "One: He's surrounded by friends and family, everywhere he turned. Someone was there to help him. A Dixierat only cries when he or she realize nobody's going to help him."

Doc held out a 2nd finger, "Two: He knows that not all humans are cruel, no matter how bad humans treat them they know there are at least some good folks in a sea of evil. That's why these Dixierats let you pick them up and hold them, cause they trust you," finally he held out his thumb, "The third reason: The Dixierats are no different from us, they're greedy and ambitious, no matter how you make them. That's why all these Dixierats raid the town for food, and why they cause so much trouble. Officer Jenny calls the Dixierats little balls of piss."

The Dixierats lying on their backs chuckled for a moment, Doc sat the Dixierat on his shoulder and rest his forearms on its head. The Dixierat just sat there, still smiling, "Guess where they all got that from." says Dr. Westinghouse.

"Irvin?" Ash guessed.

"No, not my grandfather," he pointed to the picture of Tesla's mate, "they got it from Polly. These Dixierats grew up listening to the stories of how great their legendary ancestor was that they wear their furs with pride. What they don't know, is the time when Tesla used to be like them."

"He told me his story," said Ray, he sat up on the couch and leaned forward, "Many Dixierats suffer from things that no one can't help them with, these things are usually personal and hard to connect. For example, Bruiser – whose sleeping in the next room right now – suffers depression because of an identity crisis. He used to be a Pikachu many years back, his evolution to a Raichu was accidental. He slipped into a trench while out foraging for food and landed on a Thunderstone. I was there when it happened, I watched him evolve.

"The pain didn't start from there, it built up gradually. The first strike on him was he lost the ability to manipulate things with this hands, can't get a good grip on things. The second strike was when he kept getting stuck in tight holes, still thinking like a Pikachu he would try to squeeze in places where it just wouldn't work. The third strike was his new-found temper, since Raichus are more aggressive. He told me it was some nonsensical argument with another Dixierat, I can't remember if Bruiser either sucker-punched it in the face or Thundershocked his tail. Either way, it was enough for him to crawl inside a beer bottle, where he remained ever since."

Doc turned to Ash, "Tesla held the burden of the loss of his family for seventy years, longer than your lifetimes and longer than mine. He suffered for months being passed around, surrounded by strangers. Tesla used to be like these Dixierats, but he had long lost that sense of freedom and joy. Sometimes he gain it back on occasion, but only when he's drunk."

"That explains why Tesla jumped off the train." Iris said.

"Axew." Axew added.

"What are you trying to tell me, Doc?" Ash asked.

"You would want to give your Pokémon as much freedom as humanly possible, it's what my grandfather done with his Pokémon. He took a different route to become a Pokémon Master, something unorthodox. His Pokémon had no worry, no grief, no burden, because they had faith in him. Even Tesla had faith in him, even though he doesn't like him."

"Amazing that a Pokémon can believe in a trainer they have no taste for." said Cilan.

"Just be there for your Pokémon, Ash," Doc finally says, "every step of the way."

Ash glanced at the Pichu egg, it still sat in its bundle of blankets, almost as if it was sleeping. He stroke his Pikachu's ears and glanced at the clock, then turned back to Doc, "You said something about the poachers."

"Yes," said Doc, "I did."

He pointed to the Pikachu skeleton, "That poor Dixierat was a victim, poor thing got shot. Managed to get away but it later died of its injuries."

"Poor thing." says Iris.

"Axew ew." Axew muttered

"Why would they do that!?" Ash asked.

"Pika!?" Pikachu added.

"Like I said, Ash, greed. You know how much Pokédollars their cheeks are worth? Thousands, a pair of Pikachu electro glands would pay the rent off for an entire year," Doc then added, "What's strange about the Dixierats is that they bring their dead to me. They have faith in me, like my grandfather's Pokémon had faith in him. They would bring bodies in and I handle them, Pichus, Pikachus, and Raichus, I handle them as they come in."

"What did you do with the bodies?" Cilan asked.

"I cut them open and see what their insides are like."

Iris and Axew yucked, the Dixierats laying around didn't seem to mind.

Doc continued, "Usually to figure out how the Dixierats died, I learned so much about Mice Pokémon from dissecting them than in textbooks. It took me 5 minutes just to put that skeleton together, learned so much about how their bones fit together that I did a better job mending them when they break."

"Pikachu," one of the Dixierats chirped, it crawled up to Doc and snuggled its head into his lab coat, "Pika Pi..."

"That Pikachu adores you." said Cilan, quite amazed at the Dixierat's affection.

"They all adore me," said Doc, "maybe it's because they get a free bath once a week."

That earned the Dixierats a laugh, when the laughter died down the female Raichu held up its leg. Iris and Axew held their breaths, Cilan grabbed a cushion and held it to his nose.

"You better not!" cried Doc.

No fart came out, she lowered her leg and chuckled, "Rai Rai!"

Doc sighed, "I swear these Dixierats like to tease, well a few of them at least."

_Prrrrrrrrt._

**. . .**

The yummy smell grew stronger, the female Pikachu felt her belly flutter as she homed in on the source. She had passed through this part of the woods so many times, she familiarized herself with every smell, taste, and touch. If something new and unfamiliar cropped up, it would peak her curiosity. Like all Dixierats, this female Pikachu was mostly oblivious to danger until the last minute. Even if they recognize the danger, they'll see how to make it tick. She sniffed around, sticking her nose in the dirt and into plants. The smell grew stronger. She pushed further away from the dirt road and worked her way in the woods, the Dixierat moved faster, determined to seek out the smell of peanut butter.

She came into a small clearing, sitting in the middle was a large brown box. The Dixierat circled it, the only way inside was a hole the size of a dinner plate. The smell was coming out of it. She peered inside, it was dark, she couldn't see anything. With no caution, the female Pikachu climbed through the hole to take a closer look. The inside of the box was pitch black, the Dixierat feel around with her paws until she felt something. It felt like a ceramic plate, how civilized. She picked it up and brought it to her nose to smell it, only to plop her face in peanut butter.

_"The stuff!" _she cried.

With no further thought, she happily chowed down on the peanut butter.

**. . .**

What the Dixierat didn't know that by touching the ceramic plate, she broke a tiny circuit that alerted the poachers. Chris Wilkerson was on his laptop saw the alarm going off on his screen, he nearly dropped his coffee, "We got one," he cried out, "we caught a rat!"

Ernest rushed up to him, "Where?"

"Four-hundred meters from town, not far from the dirt trail."

"Can you tell it's a boogie?"

"It's a boogie, we constantly tune the circuits to prevent raising false flags."

Ernest got on the radio, "Okay, boys, we got ourselves another rat. It's 400 meters from town."

Things started moving fast, retrieving a captured Dixierat is routine. When a trap sends the message, a team of four or seven poachers are dispatched. They will go to the site where the Dixierat is trapped. If it's dead, they simply bag the rodent and carry it back to camp for processing. If it's alive, precautions must be taken. Usually one man is designated to wear a Hazmat suit with thick rubber gloves and boots. He could handle a Pichu or Pikachu alone. But if the Dixierat is a Raichu or there's more than one Dixierat. More men is needed. Usually the Dixierats don't put up much resistance, they whimper under a human shadow. Every trap out in Dixie National Park is designed to keep the Dixierat fixed in place, so handling them is a breeze.

To make carrying a squirming, and crying, Dixierat easier. The man in the Hazmat suit would use the Stun Device. To the ordinary eye, it looks like two futuristic headbands glued together. Designed and manufactured by Team Rocket, the device is used to not only paralyze the wearer, but temporarily shuts down their electric glands. The person handling the Dixierat inserts the device over the back of its head, once in place the Dixierat loses all voluntary muscle control. It would look like they're sleeping, but they're conscious and pretty much aware of what's happening to them. They are then carried off back to camp, never to be seen again.

Just in case they do get resistance, or a defiant Dixierat trying to free his trapped friend. Firearms are brought in. The usual hardware is Remington 870's with a 6 shell capacity, loaded with bird-shot, and the .22-caliber bolt-action rifle. Just in case they get a pack of Dixierats, EMP grenades are used. The Electromagnetic Pulse grenade, when detonated, gives off a powerful ionized pulse that fries electronics. To electric-types, the electricity in their system gets scrambled, causing them to become nauseous and disoriented. Long-term effects would be temporary loss of their electrical abilities. For the Mouse Pokémon, their electro glands get hot, sparks with electricity, then go dormant. Raichus tend to absorb the pulse's surge better than Pichus and Pikachus, but there's a chance all Mice Pokémon could be killed from sudden cardiac arrest, as the scrambled electricity messes with the heart's natural rhythm.

The poachersrarely use the EMP grenades, but they quite often use their guns. Usually to scare off other Dixierats, or to take potshots at them if they try to fight back. Overall, they had no problems retrieving their captured rodents. Retrieving this latest capture should be easy.

**. . .**

"You feeling tired, Emolga?" Mark asked.

Emolga nodded sluggishly, "Emo."

"You always feel tired?"

The Sky Squirrel Pokémon showed a guilty grin, "Eem."

Mark cradled Emolga in his arms, "Well, Emolga, that makes two of us."

He walked out of town and tread down Doc's dirt road. Mark yawned, it was a tiresome day. Pushing that wheelbarrow of Dixierats was backbreaking work, so was washing and combing them. He wondered if the Dixierats really couldn't take care of themselves or they were just lazy. Mark made a mental note to go check out the local library, dig up some old geographic maps of the area to see if there was something, at least something, nearby that would help benefit Tesla's Mice Pokémon. The question was, once found, how could the town spare the manpower to help the Dixierat's harness it?

_What about that Tesla coil next to Doc's house, _Mark asked himself, _Is it for giving the Dixierats a nice juicy charge or simply for experimentation?_

Whatever the reason, Mark had a feeling that he was going to find out soon enough. He kept on walking, listening to the silence.

**. . .**

The female Pikachu finished off the peanut butter. It was yummy, so yummy she tried to eat the plate. But the plate wasn't food, just a thingy to put food on. She bit into it and felt the ting of ceramic. The Dixierat groaned. Oh well, it was fun as it lasted. There's more food to eat out in Dixie. Time to get out of here...

Wait a minute, the female Pikachu sat the plate down and tried to squirm out of the box. She didn't realize how tied it really was. Something wasn't right, she squeezed through a lot of places and never got stuck once. Never. She kicked her legs and squirmed with all her might. Why was the hole feel like it was getting tighter?

_Oh no, _the Dixierat realized, _Oh no, oh no, oh no! I'm stuck! I'm stuck!_

Her buzz feeling quickly faded into terror, the tightness of the box plus the added darkness made it even worse. She needed help, she wonder if that elder Pikachu or another Dixierat was in the area. That was doubtful. It was noon, Dixierats take naps during this time of day. Very few would ever venture out.

_"HELP!" _she screamed, _"HELP, I'M STUCK! SOMEBODY HELP!"_

**. . .**

Emolgas have big ears, big enough to hear the most faintest and distant sound. Even when Mark's Emolga was stoned cold from exhaustion, it didn't stop her from hearing the faint screams. Her eyes shot open as the screams jolt her awake.

**. . .**

"Emolga!" she blurted.

"What is it, Emolga?" Mark asked.

Emolga jumped out of Mark's arms, she tugged her trainer's pants and cried, "Em! Em!"

Then she ran off into the forest, "Emolga," Mark called out, "wait!"

_What's gotten into her? _Mark thought.

Even when snoozing, a part of her brain was still alert. Something tipped her off, she blundered through vegetation and leaped over downed branches. Mark's spaghetti legs dodged them with little thought, he kept up with his Pokémon as she led the way.

**. . .**

The poacher team was almost there, they could hear the pissball's screams. They clench their guns and turned to their team leader, "Sound's like there's only one," the team leader Vance says, "A Pikachu alright. Hear those screams, boys? That's money crying out to be tucked into our wallets!

That earned a few poachers yell out hoots and cheers. Sometimes a Dixierat screams, that helps the poachers home in on them. However the screams could attract unwanted attention, like calling out more Dixierats than they could handle. The poachers checked their weapons, one guy with the shotgun realized it wasn't loaded. He fished out some shells out of his pocket and jammed them into the loading chamber.

"Bernie," said Vance, "scout ahead and see what's up there."

"Roger that, sir." said Bernie.

Bernie clamped his shotgun with one hand and ran ahead, dodging trees and shrubs along the way.

**. . .**

"What in the world," Mark asked himself as he arrived on the scene, "am I looking at?"

A Dixierat was wedged into a black box. The poor thing was screaming, kicking its legs, trying to break free. It only took a second for Mark to figure it out. It was a trap, a Pokémon trap. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book. Build a box with one way into it and put bait inside, quadruped or bi-petal Pokémon would crawl in and take the bait, only to find themselves stuck moments later. The poachers were operating _this _close to Dixie? If that was so, then Mark had to do something. He pulled out Plusle and Minun's Poké balls and toss them, their forms developed within a split seconds, "Minum!" chirped Minun.

"Plu!" chirped Plusle.

"Minun and Plusle," Mark commanded, "Go into town and find somebody who could help!"

He then turned to Emolga, "Emolga, head back to the house and go get Doc. Have Ray or Bruiser over there translate for you!"

"E-Emo!" Emolga hesitated, she didn't like the idea of leaving her trainer's side but she didn't wanna disobey him either. She spun around and ran for the bunker as the Cheering Pokémon ran for town.

Mark turned to the trapped Pikachu, he got down on his knees and checked the hole. It was tight, the Dixierat's fur was bulging out, "Pika! Pika!" cried the Pikachu.

He knocked on the box, "Hello, can you hear me!?"

"Pi!" was the Pikachu's terse reply.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get you outta here! More help's on the way!"

"Pikachu! Pikachu!" cried the Pikachu.

Mark grabbed the Pikachu by the legs and but his feet against the box. He tried to pull. No good, the Dixierat was too tight. The Pikachu's legs would break if he kept pulling. Just as he checked the box for an opening, the Pikachu's tail came up, almost whacking him in the chin. Mark caught it in time and saw the tip. It was indented, and heart-shaped.

"Hey!" yelled a voice.

Mark looked up to see a guy blundering out of the vegetation, he was covered in muck and camouflage while clutching a shotgun in his hands. The guy was somewhere around his age, maybe older. Mark wasn't sure. But there was one thing he was sure,

_Poacher_.

There were few police officers out in Dixie, and since the poacher network was close to town, Mark assumed they outnumber them to a hundred to one. No need to fear the law, the law here doesn't wanna risk exposing the Dixierat secret. The town would cave in and the poachers equally suffer. Worst case scenario was the resulting media attention would cause the local Unovan trainers to come in and scoop up all the Dixierats for Pokémon battling or for other purposes. Whatever Dixierats remain couldn't rebound the population, they would soon be taken in by trainers, and Tesla's family would be gone and lost forever.

With that thought in mind, Mark didn't hesitate to draw his .22 Ruger. The poacher couldn't get his gun up in time when two rounds went straight through his heart. Mark's eyes bulge when he saw the guy fall to the ground...

...and he saw he still had the gun in his hand.

"Sh*t." Mark breathed.

_Now I done it, _he thought, _the gloves had come off._

"Bernie," someone called out in the woods, "Are you okay!?"

_And he has friends, crap!_

Mark rushed over to the body and grabbed his shotgun, he then pulled the body into the bushes where he stripped it for ammo. He heard the Dixierat whimper to itself, the shots must have scared her. At least she stopped screaming, makes it easier for Mark to hear them coming. He jammed the shells into his pocket and cocked the shotgun. A fresh shell came out. Mark quickly load it back into the gun and waited.

"Bernie," the voice called out again, "are you there!?"

_He is here_. Mark thought, staring at Bernie's body.

Mark peered around the corner and aimed his shotgun to where he thought the voice came from. Sure enough someone blundered out of the bushes, all dressed up in wilderness camouflage with his weapon ready, "Bernie?"

He didn't see Mark when he pulled the trigger.

**. . .**

The poachers jumped when they heard the boom of the Remington 870, Vance screamed. They watched in horror as an invisible force knocked him back, landing on his rump. His face was peppered with red holes, similar to Swiss cheese. They stood in shock for a brief second, when they heard the 2nd shotgun blast the realization they were being shot at kicked in. The bark of a nearby oak tree got blasted to splinters, showering one poacher's face with wooden grit. Blinded, Vance collapsed to the ground while his four remaining buddies ran for cover. As he crawled aimlessly, moaning in pain, a third shotgun blast drilled into his chest. The stopping power of the bird-shot kicked him onto his back, he didn't get back up.

They expect a routine retrieval, they didn't expect to get shot at. None of the poachers hadn't held a gun up to a human being before, not even killed one either. Who was this cowboy shooting at them? It clearly wasn't Bernie, he was a terrible shot. Could it be that crazy mad scientist? No, it couldn't. He wasn't that quick with the draw.

With no plan, and no way to call HQ, the poachers fired their guns blindly into the vegetation at the opposite end of the clearing, hoping to hit their attacker. They weren't even close, but it was enough to pin him down.

**. . .**

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Mark swore as bullets charged passed him. He felt the sycamore tree on his back get hammered with bird-shot and .22-rounds, "How much ammo do they have?"

**. . .**

Mark's Emolga heard the first few shots, then the firefight. Being familiar with firearms, she realized that the situation had escalated. Her beloved trainer was in danger, it sounded like he was going to be killed. She ran faster, fighting the fatigue in her four legs as she drew near the bunker.

**. . .**

Tesla strolled out of the police station, his cheeks burning with rage and humiliation. He kept his temper in check so far, but now he couldn't cool it. Officer Jenny called him in to question him, try to get something out of him. She could either be doing an investigation or just taking note of him. Tesla wondered if Officer Jenny could arrest him on the spot, make up some false charge and throw him in jail. She can hold him, but not forever. Tesla done nothing wrong. Well, he did vandalize the welcome sign at the railroad, and he could understand that. Humorously enough, the Pikachu-shaped dent was all the evidence they need, even if they did a DNA test on the fur or blood he left behind. Probably they would find traces of alcohol he drank in the blood samples.

Once he was out of sight of the police station, Tesla grabbed his ears and pulled them, _"I don't like being mad!" _he swore at the sky.

He glanced around to see if anyone inadvertently heard that, he found none. Tesla let go of his ears and sighed, "I'm thirsty for a drink."

_"Tesla!"_

He jumped when he saw Mark's Plusle and Minun came running for him, they looked scared. What's got the two spooked, and where was Mark? Something was up, "What do you want you brats," he when they stopped before him, "can't you see I'm not in the mood right now?"

_"A Dixierat's in trouble," _Plusle cried, _"she's stuck in a poacher trap!"_

"Well she shouldn't be sticking her nose where it doesn't belong," Tesla grumbled, "I swear to Ho-Oh these Dixierats are idiots."

_"Please, Tesla," _Minun cried, _"She's family, and she needs help!"_

"What do you suppose you want me to do about it, just what kind of trap is it?"

Plusle spoke, _"A box-"_

"The box trap? The oldest trick in the book? Figures. Once stuck, you can't simply get unstuck. Pushing the Dixierat in would just make it worse, and you can't pull out the Dixierat without breaking anything. Which Mouse Pokémon is it anyway?"

_"A Pikachu." _Both Plusle and Minun said in unison.

"A Pichu has more luck getting unstuck, and a Raichu can't fit its head in the hole anyway. There's a way to get them out, practically no other damn Pokémon knows about it because they don't think when they try to get out," Tesla's voice drifted off for a moment, then he spoke in a calm voice, "Look, I'm just irritated right now. I just had another brush in with the law and I'm just not in the mood right now. Here, tell you what. I'm going to get that Dixierat unstuck, then head back to the bunker, where I'm going to drown myself in moonshine and sleep off the rest of the day."

_"So are you going to help?" _Plusle asked, sounding like he was pleaing.

"Did you hear what I said, or do I need to translate for you? Of course, I'll help."

_"Yay!" _The Cheering Pokémon cheered.

_I would strangle you retards if you weren't so cute. _Tesla thought, but didn't say. He followed Minun and Plusle into the forest, swearing curse words under his breath.

**. . .**

"Where is he going?" Officer Jenny asked herself as she watched Tesla disappear into the forest.

Whatever it was, she wasn't interested. The only concern were events happening in _this _town, not out in the woods. She may be forbidden to shoot Dixierats, but she wasn't forbidden to ignore their personal problems. That was all Doc's responsibility, not hers. The people and Pokémon in this town was more valuable than those parasites anyway. Officer Jenny stepped away from the window and returned to her office, she had a mountain of paperwork to do.

**. . .**

The peace and quiet of the bunker was interrupted when someone repeatedly banged against the front door. Doc got up and opened it, and Mark's Emolga charged through. She looked like she just ran a marathon, "EMOLGA!" she screamed.

"Is that Mark's Emolga?" Cilan asked.

"Definitely is," said Ash, he got off the couch and asked, "What's wrong, Emolga? Where's Mark?"

"Pikachu!?" Ash's Pikachu cried.

"Emo Emo Emo Emo," Emolga screamed, "Emolga Emolga Emolga, Emo Emo Em Em Emolga!"

Rayovac jumped down and rushed up to Emolga, "Calm down, what are you saying?"

Emolga took a deep breath and spoke a few words, Ray turned to Doc, "Andy, the gloves just came off."

"Holy sh-." Doc stopped himself from swearing, the room went silent. The Dixierats laying around sat up, their faces showed horror. Ash, Cilan, and Iris just stood there, wondering what was going on. But Axew and Ash's Pikachu understood the message, they were just as petrified as the Dixierats.

Before Ash could ask Doc what's going on, he ran into the bedroom and came out with his shotgun and a box of shells. He quickly sat down and started loading individual shells into the chamber, "What's going on, Doc?" Ash finally asked.

"Here's what's going on," said Doc as he crammed shells into his shotgun, "the poachers just captured a Dixierat and our friend Mark's trying to free it. When the poachers got there, a shootout happened. Turns out Mark had a gun on his person and he kept it to himself. Ugh, the Kissinger family is always that trigger happy."

"What!?" Ash and his friend cried in unison.

Doc shot a look at Ash, "Short version, Mark needs help."

"We can help!" said Cilan.

"No, the poachers aren't using Pokémon, they're using _guns_. Unless you know how to use one, you can't come. You'll get yourselves killed. Just wait here, pretend nobody's home."

Bruiser came out of the bedroom, he had another box of shells, "You have slug rounds loaded?"

Doc cocked the shotgun, "Yes."

"Here's more, had the poachers changed the caliber of their shotguns?"

"I don't think so, they never really do."

Doc grabbed the box and jammed it into his lab coat pocket, ran out the front door. Ray and Emolga followed behind him, sprinting on all fours like their lives depended on it. Bruiser shuts the door, then pressed his back against it.

"Oh freaking Ho-Oh," he grumbled, "I never thought this day would come."

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

"The game just got stepped up a level, that's what's going on."

Ash and his friends slumped on the couches, they sat in silence as they stare at the walls. The Dixierats huddled around them, burying their heads into their clothes. Some of the Pichus started crying, which earned them hugs from the Pikachus. The female Raichu crept up to Bruiser and sat next to him at the door, burying her head on his shoulder, "She love you?" Ash asked him.

"She loves everybody." said Bruiser.

"Why did you leave her out there earlier, just what did you do to her?"

"Ash, this ain't the time to ask me those kinds of questions."

Ash didn't press on, he simply turned towards the digital clock as the Dixierats huddled around him. He kept track of the seconds as the digital numbers tick by. Drifting from one minute to the next. Whatever was happening, it wasn't good. He wasn't prepared for this when he decided to persuade the group to go to Dixie. Part of him wanted to get up and leave town as fast as he can, but he couldn't. He didn't have the heart to leave all these Mice Pokémon in the dust. They all trusted him, believe in him. Maybe because it was his own Pikachu, cause they liked him. Some of the Pichus buried their heads into his little buddy while he, too, stare at the clock. The two lovebird Pikachus huddled in a corner and held onto each other, like it was going to be their last time together.

With nothing they could do, the whole room held it silence, and waited.

**. . .**

The oak tree Mark was using for cover wasn't fairing so well. The bark was blown out by repeated bird-shots, revealing the yellow-tan wood underneath. The smell of fresh wood mixed with gunpowder and blood, clouding into a fog in Mark's brain. He was running out of ammo, the bird-shot shells he scavenged was running out and he barely had enough .22-rounds left. He couldn't risk sticking his head out. They had him tagged, an exposed elbow or even a foot would give the poachers something to shoot at. Mark held his Ruger around the tree and fired blindly at the poachers, just to keep them pinned in. That tactic wasn't doing so well, he wasn't sure where they were firing from. Gunshots were going off in all directions, he couldn't pin down a single source.

_I hope you're quick with help, girls,_ Mark thought about his Pokémon, _I don't wanna be sh*tcanned in the Aether __with Bernie__._

**. . .**

Andy heard the thunder of guns while coming up the road, he clutched the shotgun and crouched. Ray brushed up beside him, almost like he was prepared to take the bullet for his old friend. Emolga huddled by Andy's leg, scared out of her mind.

"You see him?" Andy asked.

"No," said Ray, "The vegetation's too thick, but I can smell him. He ain't soiled yet."

"Can you flank them from behind without getting shot?"

"Yeah, they won't know what hit them."

As the trio crept into the forest, Ray broke off to flank the poachers. Emolga kept by his side, whimpering to herself as the horror drilled her poor brain. Andy wondered why she followed him. It was foolish of her to come back if she was that scared. However, her loyalty to Mark was just too great. Mark told her to go get help and she did without question, he hadn't seen such loyalty in 20 years.

Two stray rounds buzzed passed Andy's ear, he ducked and crawled through the bush for cover. He looked up. There was Mark, cowering behind a tree while firing an occasional round at his attackers. He clutched a shotgun in his hands as he fumbled shotgun shells into its loading chamber.

**. . .**

Mark held up his shotgun and peered around the tree, only to find a poacher about to put a bead in him. The poacher was just taking aim with his rifle when yellow lightning sparked behind him. It flashed with an electric buzz, the spark of electricity blasted overhead and struck a nearby tree. The poacher lost focus and spun around to see who it was.

_BOOM!_

A powerful slug blasted into his back, the poacher let out a scream before collapsing to the ground. Mark spun around, and saw Doc aiming a still smoking shotgun. He felt most of his anxiety lift off his chest upon seeing him, "I'm so glad to see you, Doc!"

"Can't have a shootout without me," said Doc, he fished into his lab coat pocket and tossed Mark a box of shotgun shells, "Here's some slug rounds, your shotgun will hold them."

"Thanks!"

"Emolga!" cried Emolga as she blundered out of the vegetation, she rushed up to Mark and hugged him.

"Good work, girl," said Mark, "Tonight, you'll eat till your stuff and I'll give you a good belly rub. What do you say?"

"Em!" Emolga cheered, her face lit up like New Year's Day at midnight.

Mark jumped when he felt 4 rapid bird-shots pelt the back of the tree, he quickly got down and pressed his Emolga to the ground, "Stay down, Emolga!" he ordered.

Emolga covered her head with her hands and tucked herself into the tree's base as Mark and Doc returned fire, "Let's show them how we Faradians play shootout!" said Andy.

"You owe me ten bucks after this!" Mark cried.

**. . .**

"Are those gunshots?" Tesla asked.

_"Oh no!" _cried Plusle.

_"Mark!" _cried Minun.

Sounds like he got in trouble with the poachers. Heck, he gets in trouble with everything. Tesla played this game before with poachers, and these poachers were no different. But that was during his childhood, when he was a Pichu. It was a lot of running than shocking in those days, but this time, its going to be a lot of shocking. _Heavy _shocking. Tesla charged passed the Cheering Pokémon duo and zipped through the trees. The gunshots grew louder. He heard Mark's shouting, either he was swearing at the poachers or cursing his bad luck. Tesla couldn't tell. The gunshots muted most of his voice. He made his way through the trees and into the clearing. In the middle was the infamous Pikachu trap, and sticking out of it was a Pikachu's sorry ass. Tesla tagged the poachers in a split second, they didn't notice him, they were too focused of Mark.

Tesla was surprised to see Andy there as well, helping Mark out. For a moment, the old Pikachu almost confused Andy as Irvin. The way he held the shotgun was similar to how Irvin holds one, the messy graying hair and thin-rimmed glasses complete the picture. Tesla blinked, then shook out of it when he saw the lab coat, _It's Andy, _Tesla thought, _Irvin's grandson, not Irvin himself._

Tesla got in a stance, he balled his fist and held his breath. He drew up all the electricity his body had available and conger it up to his cheek's, in milliseconds purple sparks flash everywhere as a tiny sliver of light reached up to the sky. It gotten as high as the clouds before thundering into a bright purple lightning bolt. Tesla put all his energy into it, unleashing all that power, somehow, made him feel young again.

_Eat this! _Tesla smirked as he directed an arch of electricity at the nearest poacher.

**. . .**

The thunderbolt was so powerful, it shook the earth with sheer force. Mark and Doc were knocked on their rears, stunned and blinded from the flash. Emolga stared up at the bolt, slipping into a trance-like state. Rayovac stumbled back and fell on his rear end as the thunderbolt loomed over him. After suffering sensory overload for a brief few seconds, he fainted.

Several aging windows in Dixie cracked and shattered, littering the streets with glass powder. The locals, thinking it was an earthquake, dove for cover underneath anything that could bear heavy weight. Those outside were speechless as they watch Tesla's thunderbolt ripple into the sky, Officer Jenny came out of the police station and looked up. At first she doesn't know what was happening until she noticed the color of the lightning. On TV, she watched Tesla used his special electrical attacks. They were powerful and deafening loud, and the electricity always had a bluish-purple or purple tint to it. The lighting licking the sky near Dixie was purple. Officer Jenny became suspicious.

Outside of town, an aging transformer that connect the Unovan power grid to Dixie started sputtering sparks. Tesla's powerful Thunderbolt brought out a powerful Electromagnetic pulse (EMP), the EMP penetrated the power grid and overloaded it with electricity. The old transformer sparked and popped, until finally bursting to flames.

Just as Officer Jenny walked into the police station, the lights flickered and went dark. Everybody inside wondered what was happening, Officer Jenny passed her confused co-workers and made it to the circuit breaker. She flipped a red breaker and power was restored for the station. She expected everything would work again, only to realize that the computers were dead. One of the technicians popped open a CPU of one of the desktop computers, the motherboard had _melted _into the frame and the fan was burnt. Officer Jenny walked up to the videophone and tried to place a call, when she turned it on the screen showed jagged black lines in a red, blue, and green background. She picked up the phone and held it to her ear. No dial-tone, just a soft ominous hiss.

All over town, people realized that not only the power was out their electrical appliances were fried. Dixie's aging infrastructure couldn't handle the surge. The town went to great lengths to isolate themselves, they hadn't anticipated to be _this _isolated.

Inside the park, the Dixierats watched in awe as the Thunderbolt danced in the sky. The EMP that came with it hit them seconds later, their skin tingled as their electro glands became hot. The Pichus became disoriented and started wondering around, singing and twirling stupidly. The Pichus weren't mature enough to store electricity, so when the EMP passed over them, their bodies simply short-circuited the electricity to the ground. The Pikachus and Raichus had a similar experience, but was more severe. Several Dixierats became nauseous and puked on the ground, others rubbed their cheeks, badly sore from the electrical anomaly. The rest suffered sensory overload, like Ray, they too fainted.

Doc's bunker, which was humorously designed to withstand a nuclear blast and the EMP that comes with it, acted like a Faraday cage. The Dixierats inside felt the thunderbolt, but went through the EMP unscathed. Bruiser kept his back pressed against the door, fearing something could knock it down. Ash and his friends got on the floor and huddled with the Dixierats in a massive group hug. The female Raichu let out a massive fart, but nobody bothered noting it this time. The Pichu egg itself sat undisturbed in its bundle of blankets. Tesla secured the blankets around it so well that the shaking couldn't knock it over. It held firm while everybody dove to the floor.

The poacher's camp, though several kilometers away from town, was not unaffected by the thunderbolt. They felt the earth shake as the EMP knocked out their electronics, their heavy-duty laptops go blank and refused to turn back on. Hendrickson and his henchmen watched as the thunderbolt above them towered like a giant, he would later realize his situation was no different from Dixie.

The Dixierats locked in the cages were spared from the EMP, as they acted like a Faraday cage, with the rubber coating as further protection. Theoretically, this should prove that the cage's ability to withstand electrical attack's paid off, though paid off a little too well. The lone Dixierat that was locked in the tiny cage was, too, spared from the EMP. He was asleep, he didn't noticed the massive thunderbolt that went off nearby. The Joltik sat on the Pikachu's back, sniffing its fur for any spark of electricity as it kept an eye on the fascinating thunderbolt up above.

**. . .**

When the thunderbolt ceased, there were a few seconds of silence. Mark and Doc then climbed back to their feet, they were greeted with ghostly cyan spots and a horrid ozone smell. They took a moment to clear their heads, then turned towards the clearing. Their jaws dropped at what they saw. The flash of lighting had burned an oak tree, literally fried it. It's bark looked like cooling lava. All the leaves were turned to ash, leaving the branches stripped of life. It popped and crackled, threatening to burst into flames at any minute.

Mark had the aftermath of lightning strikes before, but he hadn't seen anything like this. He turned to Doc, the Pokémon doctor was also speechless. He approached the cooked tree, standing right up to the burned disk he said in an awestruck voice, "It's beautiful."

"What made it?" Mark asked.

"I only know one creature who can do this..."

Mark heard something behind him, he turned and saw Tesla stumbling into the clearing. He took a few steps before collapsing to the ground, "Doc!" Mark cried.

Doc snapped out of his delirium and spun around, he rushed up to Tesla and got down, "Tesla," he cried, he picked up the old Pikachu and cradled him in his arms, "Hey, buddy, are you alright?"

Tesla's eyes flickered open, he glanced at Doc for a second and nodded, "I'm fine . . . I'm just tired."

"What just happened?" Mark asked.

"I just unleashed all the electricity I had in my system in a single go, that's what happened."

"Emo..." Emolga groaned.

Everyone turned and saw Emolga stumbled out behind the tree, her eyes had gray circles and she appears lethargic. She rubbed her yellow cheeks as she approached Mark, "Emo..." she groaned.

"What's wrong, Emolga?" Mark asked.

"Emolga..."

"She's saying her cheeks hurt," said Tesla, "That Thunderbolt put out an EMP, it must had affected her."

Mark pressed his thumb against Emolga's cheek, it was warm to the touch. A little too warm, "You're going to be okay, Emolga?"

Emolga nodded, "Em."

At that moment, the Cheering Pokémon ran into the clearing. Their eyes also had gray circles and appear lethargic. Mark scooped them up and felt their cheeks, they were warm as well. He sat them down and pulled out their Poké balls, "Plusle, Minun, return."

Two red beams struck Plusle and Minun and they were recalled into their Poké balls, Mark tucked them into his pocket and rushed up to the Pikachu trap. The Dixierat was still stuck, and still moving, "Now how are we going to get her out?"

"Just grab that rubber tube and twist it," said Tesla, "It will unscrew and you can carry her into the bunker."

Doc glanced around the clearing, "Where are the poachers?"

"Where do you think that Thunderbolt was intended for?" Tesla asked.

"Oh."

"Here, let me down."

Doc let Tesla down and got up, "I'm gonna salvage what I can from the poachers, then we gotta get outta here. We don't have much time people."

Tesla walked up to Emolga and felt her cheek, "You need help getting back?"

Emolga gave a drowsy nod, "Em."

The shiny sprite leaned against Tesla's shoulder, he grabbed her arm and gave her a boost. They watched as Doc scooped up all the guns and Mark unscrewing the box tube, "I think I got it." said Mark.

The tube came off the box and Mark held it up, the Dixierat's head poked out. She was shocked, though seemingly unaffected by the EMP, "Pikachu?" she asked.

"I got you," said Mark, "I'm gonna get you outta here and get out of this thing, are you feeling alright?"

The Dixierat nodded, then broke down in tears, "Chuuu!"

Mark padded her head and held onto her, "Poor thing, she's traumatized."

"What just happened, guys?" Ray said as he ran into the clearing, "I saw purple and then I blacked out, are the poachers gone?"

"Yeah," said Doc, "they're gone. Help me loot their crap."

"Sure."

Ray and Doc gathered up all the guns and ammo from the bodies, Mark tucked the Dixierat under his arm and went to retrieve his Ruger. He flicked the safety and stuck it into his pocket, then picked up the shotgun, "All this trouble for something so little," said Mark, "I thought I was done for."

"No way you're done for," said Doc, "just look at that tree you were covering behind."

Mark turned towards the tree, his eyes went big. It looked like someone took a big bite out of the tree, all the bark was blasted off to reveal the pulverized wood inside. Mark stuck his finger in one of the holes, a fired .22-caliber fell out, "I gotta get myself one of these oak trees, I'm sure Dad won't mind me planting one in the backyard."

He looked down and saw several acorns laying among the wood chips and splinters, he bent over and picked up a few acorns and pocket it, "When I get home, I'll plant some of this tree's seeds to remember this moment by."

"You gone Greenpeace, Mark?" Tesla asked.

"Can we have this discussion later?"

Tesla chuckled, "Sure, why not?"

Emolga pulled away from Tesla and jumped up on Mark's shoulders, Doc and Ray regrouped with Mark, their arms loaded with firearms, "We got all we can." said Doc.

"We found some grenades." said Ray.

"Throw one of them in the trap," said Mark, "we can't let the poachers use it again."

Doc reached into his pocket and pulled out a baseball grenade, he tossed it to Mark, "Once the pin's pulled, you got 5 seconds before it blows."

Mark nodded, "Go ahead, I'll catch up."

As the group hurried out of the clearing, Mark grabbed the pin with his teeth and pulled it. He tossed the grenade into the hole and ran, holding the Dixierat tight in his arms. By the time he got back on the road, he heard the grenade go off, then the debris from the trap falling back to earth. Mark didn't wanna go back to see how the trap got pulverized, he didn't wanna spend any more time at that clearing. He held onto the Dixierat and caught up with the group, then walked the rest of the way back to the bunker.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	13. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 12_

Someone pounded on the front door, "Guys," cried Mark, "it's us!"

Ash got up and unlocked the front door, Doc, Mark, and Ray swooped in. Tesla just walked inside and shut the door behind him, "What a day." he muttered.

"Where did you get all those guns?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew added.

"Spoils for our troubles," said Doc, "just give me a moment."

Doc and Ray went to the bedroom and dumped all the guns to the floor, they came back out and sat down on the couches, "We just saved a Dixierat from the poachers." Doc finally says.

"Now," said Mark, holding up the Dixierat, "we gotta figure out how to get her out of this thing."

Ash wondered what he was looking at, it looked like some sort of rubber tube. The Dixierat was wedged in tight, with no obvious way of getting out. Mark sat down on the couch and Emolga jumped down from his shoulder. The shiny sprite looked drained, she flopped on the couch and rested her head over her arm, "Chuu!" the stuck Dixierat cried, her eyes pouring tears.

"What happened?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika!?" his Pikachu cried.

"This Dixierat crawled into a hole that connected to a box," said Mark, "She wound up getting stuck. Turns out it was a trap, and the poachers were just about to bag her. We got her out and ran back to the bunker, it was hectic."

"Are you alright, Mark," Iris asked, "Your eyes are wide open."

"I'll tell you all about it later," Mark turned to Ash, "Ash, grab her arms and I'll hold on to her feet. Iris, you twist the tube towards her head and we'll pull her out."

"Chuu!" the Dixierat cried again.

Ash grabbed her arms and Mark held her legs, Iris came up and grabbed the rubber tube. She twisted the tube towards the Pikachu's head. It didn't take much effort, Ash let go when the Dixierat popped out of the tube. She flopped on Mark's lap as Iris pulled the tube away, "There we go," said Mark, "that wasn't difficult."

The Dixierat stood up on her hind legs and looked at her hands, "Pi?" she asked herself, when she realized she was free the Dixierat cheered, "Pikaaa!"

"She's so happy!" Iris exclaimed.

"Ax!" Axew chirped.

The female Dixierat leaped up and hugged Ash for a moment, then jumped on Iris and hugged her. She then leaped on Doc and hugged him, then gave Rayovac a kiss on a cheek – following it up with a hug. The female Dixierat then jumped on the ground, did a twirl while jumping up and down on her feet. The other Dixierats looked at each other and cheered as well.

"Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!" the Dixierat cried.

"She thought she was done for," Ray translated, "she thought she was about to die."

The female Dixierat then turned to Mark, staring at him for a brief second before jumping up on the couch and leaping on his chest, "Pika! Pika! Pika!" she sobbed as she hugged him tight.

Bruiser came up and translated, "She's thanking you most of all, Mark."

"It was Emolga who heard your cries," said Mark, "If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't even know you were in trouble."

Ash turned to Emolga, she had fell asleep. The little thing was sleeping off a hard day, "She looks so tired."

"Emolga," Mark asked as she scratched his Sky Squirrel's back, "you fallen asleep already?"

"Em." she muttered.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Tesla's the one who really did the final punch. That shaking earlier, that was his Thunderbolt."

Cilan's mouth dropped, "You're kidding."

"He's not," said Doc, "That Thunderbolt was so powerful it unleashed an Electromagnetic Pulse, Emolga, Plulse and Minun got hit with it, made them disoriented. Look, feel her cheek."

Iris reached out and felt Emolga's yellow cheek, "It's hot, is she going to be alright?"

There was some worry in her voice, "The EMP just scrambled her electricity," Doc explained, "She'll be fine. However, we have more pressing issues. When the poachers learn what just happened to their little posse, they're going to retaliate. The EMP not only affected the electric-type Pokémon in the area, but also knocked out the town's power. Not sure how far the EMP goes."

Ash glanced at his Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon showed no signs of fatigue. Not even the female Dixierat, not even the other Dixierats in the room. He turned to the clock, it was still working, "You said that Thunderbolt unleashed an EMP?"

"Correct," said Doc, "This bunker and the box the Dixierat was trapped in was lined with metal, it acted like a Faraday cage. The EMP went _around _them, without affecting the Dixierats and the electronics inside. That's why the Dixierats here aren't affected, but outside the bunker, the other Mice Pokémon are probably feeling tired and derpy right now."

"Does it actually hurt them?"

Doc thought for a moment, "A small number of Dixierats would get Overcharge, usually the Pikachus. For one thing Pichus can't hold a charge and Raichus could hold a lot. It's always the Pikachus who suffer such a fate, for some reason the Dixierats won't bring them here for me to treat them. I would just hook them up to that Tesla coil and the excess energy would dissipate."

Ash stroke his Pikachu's ears and looked around, "Where's Tesla?"

"Odd," said Ray, "he was here a minute ago."

Everybody looked around, Tesla was gone, _again._ Doc got up from a couch, "I know where," he walked over to the bedroom door and opened it, "Yup, there he is, sleeping like a baby."

Ash got up and peered through the door. The old Pikachu himself was sleeping on the bed, laying on his back. His arms were wrapped around his belly as he snoozed. His face peaceful, showing no signs of stress or hardship. Ash smiled, he walked up to Tesla and stroke his ears. They twitched in response, he let out a yawn and shifted into another position, "You've grown quite attached to him," said Doc, "Few people ever show close affection to him, and even _fewer _of those people Tesla would ever return it."

"Tesla told me about this back on Faraday Island," said Ash, "he said people judge him by how he looks and not who he actually is."

"Oh, so you are aware of this."

"He told me a little bit of his story every time I meet up with him, for a Pikachu who hates his celebrity status he's quite snobby at times."

"So he did told you about his doctors."

"Then he jumped off the train like he could fly."

Doc and Ash went back to the living room and shut the door behind him, "Just what really happened back there, while you were trying to save that Dixierat?"

"I think Mark can explain that, he saw how everything went down."

**. . .**

"There you go, girl," Mark says as he scrubbed the Pikachu's back, soap bubbles overflowed from the sink as Mark stirred up the water, "There you go."

"Saahhh," the female Pikachu awed, the warm water relaxing her tense muscles, _"That's so nice!"_

The bubbles were up to her chest, yet some were trying to get up her nose. No matter how many times the female Pikachu blow them away, more bubbles take their place. She hadn't had a bath before. Other Dixierats told her that being in a sea of bubbles was like being in hog heaven. They were right, the soap smelled nice and fresh. The Dixierat never thought that the kid would ever gave her a bath. He was nice, nice as her instincts told her. This Mark, as the humans called him, had a gentle touch. His slender hands were strong, the way his fingers rub into her back made her wonder if he was was a massage therapist. He was hitting the right buttons, the feeling of her heart being satisfied made the world feel right.

_"Can you rub here?" _the Dixierat pointed at her lower back and rubbed it.

"Okay," said Mark, "here you go."

Mark shift the scrubber, the female Pikachu held her nose high and let her jaw go slack, _"Yes," _she said, _"that's the spot!"_

He moved his fingers and pulled at the stiff back muscles, then rubbed his knuckle into it. The Dixierat cooed as the knots uncoiled back into smooth muscles. Her Mama says that the male always groom the female during alone time, but this was better than grooming. A bath and a massage was what she needed after her long years of searching for that special someone. Real love. Pure unconditional love with silk touch. It was beyond her wildest dreams, and yet, it was _better _than her wildest dreams.

"Okay," said Mark, "I gotta pull you out now."

Mark unplugged the drain and turned on the hot water, he washed all the suds off of the Pikachu's fur as it slurped it down. She dunked her head under the running water and Mark washed the suds out of her ears. After all the water was drained away, Mark shut off the faucet and pulled her out of the sink, "Sit on the counter and hold still, I'm going to use the hair dryer to blow dry you off."

_"Okay." _she nodded.

He sat her on the counter and grabbed the nearby blow dryer. A shock went down her spine when she noticed it looked a lot like a handgun, but bulkier. Her anxiety faded when Mark started it up. The female Pikachu felt her fur dry as Mark aimed the hair dryer at her, the blast of air was warm and relaxing. She held up her arms so Mark could dry off her armpits, _"Right there," _she said, _"Yes, yes, that's nice!"_

Mark dried her belly, then her back. The female Pikachu kept twirling around to make sure it was an even dry. After several twirls, she bent over and faced her rear towards Mark. The blast of hot air hitting her rear was like hitting the motherload.

_"Ah, that's the spot." _she awed.

"Oh," Mark realized, "You like it there, huh?"

_"__Yes, I do!" _the Dixierat purred.

Mark held the blow dryer closer, the female Pikachu felt it center over her rectum. Not only did he clean it, but he was _drying_ it. Sometimes it itched after she made a poo, and on rare occasions the itching gets really bad. Having all that year's worth of stuck feces cleaned off was the best thing that ever happened in the Pikachu's life, and having Mark do the cleaning was even better.

He sat down the hair dryer and picked her up, the Dixierat cooed as Mark pressed her against his chest. He carried her back into the living room, the Dixierat noticed that all her cousins were gone except Ray, Bruiser, and the elder Pikachu, who sat silently on one of the couches. Cilan, Iris, and Ash sat in front of the TV as Doc fiddled with the satellite box. The Axew and the pure bred Pikachu sat on their own couch, munching on some Pokémon food. The shiny sprite Emolga slept peacefully between them and the egg, still out of it from Tesla's EMP. The female Pikachu looked up at the TV and saw it had a blue screen with the words, "NO SIGNAL!" in its center. She wondered if the EMP had affected the satellite dish in some way, "Hey, guys," said Mark, "where are all the Dixierats?"

"They left," Doc answered without turning around, he continued to fiddle with the satellite box, "They got packs and kids, you know."

Mark turned to the remaining Dixierats, "What about you guys, you're sticking around?"

"I got no home to go to," said Bruiser, "poachers destroyed it."

"You're going to be alright, Bruiser?"

"No."

Mark turned to Ray, "What about you, Ray?"

"No home either," said Ray, "Same reason as Bruiser's."

"We're both in the same pack," Bruiser explained, "Cousins, actually."

"You seem mature, how old are you guys?"

Bruiser thought for a moment, "I think I'm 42, or was it 47? Hmm... Yeah, it's 42. Definitely 42."

"I'm 47," said Ray, he then sat his one hand on the elder Pikachu's shoulder, "Our uncle here is 74 years old, the oldest any Dixierat ever got out here."

"That's very old for a Mouse Pokémon."

Bruiser looked down, "Yeah, I know."

"They've inherited Tesla's longevity gene," explained Doc, "And his intelligence, though Bruiser and the one-eyed Pikachu inherited his depression as well."

"Poor thing." said Iris.

_"Poor, Pikachu." _Axew added.

"Ironically," said Ray, "I don't even remember learning how to read, I just knew. Writing was also a breeze."

Mark nodded, "Written thought, more powerful than any special move from the almighty Arceus."

Axew and the pure-blood finished their meals and sat their bowls on the coffee table, they all jumped down and hopped on their trainer's laps. Mark sat down in their place, the female Pikachu relaxed as Mark's gentle fingers rub against her delicate ears.

"What's wrong with the TV?" Mark asked.

"Tesla's EMP screwed up the signal," said Doc, "I don't think I'll ever-"

The signal came back, the new's anchor's voice cutting off Doc as the TV gave out a snippet of a news report, "...between Nimbasa City. Utilities personnel say that the blackout engulfing eastern Unova was not caused by the growing supercell that just past Nimbasa City. The Unovan Department of Energy stated that the damage done to the transformers of the affected sub-station could take weeks to replace. In the meantime, portable generators will be humming till the end of the month."

"How come this bunker has power?" Mark asked.

Doc turned to Mark and said, "There's an off-site battery bank nearby. It's quite well camouflaged, only me and the Dixierats know where it is. Left alone, we have enough power for 72 hours. But the Dixierats are generous enough to share some of their electricity, which in theory, could keep the power on running off the grid indefinitely."

"I thought you have solar panels on the roof."

"I do, but 8 out of the 10 panels are fried. They're 20 years old, they're not as efficient as they're used to. Luckily they're insured, I might as well get new ones anyway."

"Faraday-made?"

Doc nodded, "Yes, Faraday-made."

Mark glanced at the TV again, it showed live footage of Straton City. In was in pitch darkness, with the Galatical plain showing above, "Wow," said Mark, "Every time Tesla does something, he stirs up trouble."

"I wonder if people are going to point fingers at him," said Doc, "if they do the authorities are going to question him."

"He already attracted the attention of the local authorities just by showing up."

"Yeah, he's a charmer."

Mark chuckled, the female Pikachu sat up and looked at him, _"I love you."_

"You're a sweet little thing, are you." said Mark.

"She said she loves you," Ray translated, then he chuckled, "I think that Pikachu likes you, Mark."

"Faraday Island charm, I suppose."

The female Pikachu gave Mark another big hug, _"Hug!" _she said.

"I think she wants to sleep with you tonight." said Bruiser.

"Fine by me," said Mark, "as long as she doesn't fart in her sleep."

That earned everyone a laugh.

**. . .**

Hendrickson, however, wasn't laughing. His technician tinkered with the HAM radio, one of their many ways of communication to the outside world. The technician opened up the case and peered inside, Hendrickson held a flashlight for him as the technician poked around. It didn't take long for him to find the problem

"Impossible."

"What did you find?" Ralph asked.

"The circuit board has melted, and several components are fried. This radio's broken beyond repair."

"What, how?"

The technician turned to Ralph, "It got overloaded with electricity, but not from our generators. An outside source caused this, but it is impossible."

"Why?"

"It's an electromagnetic pulse, or EMP for short. It fries electronics and disorients electric-types. The only defense against an EMP is if the electronics are completely surrounded with metal."

"You can't fix it?"

The technician shook his head, "I can fix up the generators, but everything else that was fried by the EMP, I cannot."

Hendrickson growled, "So you're telling me we have no way of communicating to the outside world."

"We're on our own, sir."

"Sir," said one of Hendrickson's scouts, "The town's out of power, no working videophones or radios either."

"So Dixie's in the mess too, which means we're not alone in this mess," Hendrickson turned back to his technician, "So what in the world caused that EMP?"

"Either a nuclear blast or a solar flare from the sun," said the technician, "In other words, I don't know, but I have no doubt that it's neither. We would get days of warning from HQ if the world's under nuclear attack, and a solar flare heading towards earth would be a number one spot on the news. Since we got no warning, then that means something else caused it."

"Nothing that involves explosions?"

"What about that purple lightning earlier?" the scout asked.

"Lighting can cause a blackout, but it can't cause an EMP. A lightning bolt is a concentrated arch of electricity as an EMP is supercharged ionized air, lasting a lot shorter than a lightning strike."

"Is purple lightning common in nature?" Hendrickson asked.

"Yes, sir, but not on a clear sunny afternoon."

Hendrickson thought for a moment, so if it ain't caused by man or nature, then that only means one conclusion, "Could the Dixierats cause this?"

"They don't have that much power, they could barely put out a 100,000 Volts. Even if you have a mass group of them, it still isn't enough to cause an EMP."

"So what the f*ck caused all that energy?"

The technician gave him his answer, "Maybe it's a Pikachu wearing goggles..."

Hendrickson felt something click, "That could be Tesla then, so he's here in the Dixie after all."

Ralph didn't wanna believe the initial reports, he swore to himself and walked away. He should have acted, and now this overpowering Pikachu had thrown a monkey wrench into his operation. Figures. Tesla was the founding father of the Dixierats, and he just showed up after like, what, thirty years? Ralph wondered if this means the end to this Team Rocket project. It wasn't like they need the Dixie anymore. They had captured enough Dixierats to breed them back at HQ, making a steady supply of the rodents. Which means this operation isn't a major lost to the criminal organization. Just a pin-prick, not a monkey wrench.

But that doesn't mean he was spared from the potential fallout. Unova's providential government would give him and his associates a life sentence for this conspiracy, those who play a minor role would get community service hours or a few days in jail, unless they have other skeletons in their closets. The media would make a firestorm out of this, assuming it all goes public. Ralph wondered what would everyone's reaction would be when they discovered a foreign pest on their soil. In the short-term, they would be adored by their cuteness. But in a few months down the road, the people would soon realize how much of a detriment they are in their cities. These Pikachus would swarm in and eat everything that can be eaten and make more babies, and they would eat everything they could find as well. How satisfying it would be to watch the cops round them up and ship them back to Kanto, where those pissballs belong. The Dixierats would go down along with him, no good would come out of this once the operation gets burned.

_So what am I going to do now, _he asked himself, _There's no easy way out for me and I got a lot of people on my payroll, Team Rocket would throw a fit if they learned that their longtime employees wound up in police custody._

And jail won't shield him from their rage, they would hire an assassin from the inside to slit his throat in his sleep. Or in the showers, that would be worst, they would make a distraction with the soap while they stab the back of his neck with a shank. The assassin would then blend into the crowd before the guards discover the horrendous crime. Ralph shook his head. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he could tell he would wound up exposed if it gets any further. He had to take some drastic steps to cover his own ass, and the first would have to do with the caged Dixierats.

Ralph glanced up at the sky, it was just about to go black. Might as well go to bed early, as the only lights shining tonight would be the stars and the glow of campfires and kerosine lamps.

**. . .**

Night drifted in with little notice, yet everybody's internal clocks told them to go to bed. Ash, Cilan, and Iris stripped down to their underwear and put on their pajamas. Mark pulled off his pants, revealing red tartan boxers. When Ash asked if he had underwear, he just shrugged, "I just strip off my pants and sleep like this. Just for the record, I only brought one pair of clothes."

"Washing machine and dryer's in the kitchen," said Doc, "Next to the fridge, behind some covers."

Mark chuckled, "Classic Faraday-logic, keep the washing machine in the kitchen."

He grabbed his pants and emptied out the pockets, pulling out Plusle and Minun's Poké balls. The female Pikachu sat quietly by his side as his sleeping Emolga snoozed on his pillow. He held them up and sniffed them, they reeked with ozone. Mark enlarged the Poké balls and called out his Cheering Pokémon, everyone turned and watched as they spawned before him.

"What's wrong, girls?" Mark asked.

Both Cheering Pokémon whimpered, they looked up at Mark and rubbed their cheeks. Mark pressed the back of his hand on Plusle's cheek, it was hot, same as Minun's, "Besides the cheeks, are you feeling alright?"

They both shook their heads.

"Where?"

They reached up and grabbed their heads, "Headaches and drowsiness?" Mark asked.

"Min." murmured Minun.

Mark picked them up and hugged them, "There there, you did good today. You helped save a life."

"Pika!" the female Pikachu reached up and hugged Plusle and Minun's back.

"Is your Pokémon gonna be okay?" Cilan asked.

"They'll be fine," said Mark, "they're just tired."

Mark sat down Plusle and Minun, they crawled up to Emolga and snuggled up to her. Once they found a comfortable spot, they hugged each other. Whimpering to themselves from the pain in their cheeks, the female Pikachu stroke their heads and whispered reassuring words into their ears. They smiled, they stretched out their arms and hugged her belly.

"That is so adorable!" Iris awed.

"Live it while it lasts," says Mark, "cause my adorable little Pokémon are also little brats."

Mark stroked the Dixierat's ear to get her attention, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom and take a shower, it won't be longer than 10 minutes."

The Dixierat's eyes went big, "Piiika."

"What's wrong, Pikachu?"

The female Pikachu answered by giving Mark a big hug, he gently pulled her away and said, "Stay with Emolga and the Cheering Pokémon duo, they made sure I got you out of that jam alive. I would've gotten hurt if it weren't for them. Just please, stay with them, there's no need to get worried."

She thought for a moment, processing what she just heard. The Dixierat then nodded with resignation, "Pi."

"That a girl." said Mark.

He rubbed her head and stood up to walk to the next room. When Mark shut the door behind him, the female Pikachu stared at it for a moment. She started for the door, but stopped, she looked back at Mark's Pokémon, glanced at the door a second time, then crept back to them. Ash smiled. Her affection with Mark was strong, yet her loyalty was just so. She didn't wanna upset him, she would do anything to please him.

Mark was true to his word. He came back after 4 minutes, all washed and clean, yet still wearing the same clothes, "Ash," said Mark, "can I speak to you in private?"

Ash nodded, "Sure, Mark."

As Iris and Cilan climbed under their blankets, Ash followed Mark into the kitchen. He turned on the sink and let it ran, its hiss made sure no one would be listening with an ear to the door, "I have to kill 4 human beings just to save that Pikachu, four. Doc knocked down one, while Tesla took out the rest with his Thunderbolt. That's what happened earlier."

Ash felt a chill ran down his spine, yet saw the shock in Mark's eyes, "Oh jeez."

"I hadn't fired a gun at a person before, never against anyone my match. If the authorities get wind of this, I might go to jail or get the chair, leaving my Pokémon alone in the world. They can't find another trainer like me, Ash, I don't want them to become a crude version of Tesla."

Ash just stared at the corner. He listened to this hiss of the sink for a moment, then shook his head, "I don't know what to say."

"I fired the first shots, the first guy who went down didn't know what hit him."

Ash said nothing, another awkward moment of silence.

"Ash?"

"You did what you have to do, Mark. I would've done the same thing to save my Pikachu."

"This is a Pikachu I just met, it's not like my other Pokémon who I've known for a lifetime. She loves me, Ash. I've felt her heart, she has romantic feelings for me. Bruiser and Ray really meant it when they said she loves me, I bet she has her ear on that door trying to listening what we're saying."

"What are you going to do?"

"I can't leave her here, Ash. She's going to wound up following me around if I refuse her companionship. I gotta take her into my care, which means, I gotta go get myself an empty Poké ball from some place," Mark then added, "We gotta drive out those poachers, Ash. I want this Pikachu leave the Dixie knowing her family is safe and sound at home. I don't want her to worry, I don't want her to regret. I gotta return her love in such a way that it would complete the bond between us."

Ash smiled, "Tomorrow, we get to work finding where the poacher's camp is at and free whatever captured Dixierats they have there."

"That sounds like a plan." said Mark.

"I've done this before, it always ends with explosions."

Mark grinned, "You've traveled far and wide, haven't you."

"I did, and I wish to see the Dixierats prosper here without people taking them against their will."

"I wish that too."

There was a knock on the door, "Pika?" asked a Pikachu, neither trainer could tell which though.

"Oh," said Ash, "Can you at least please tell me why won't people answer me when I asked them what the Dixierats do around corners and such."

"What?" Mark asked.

"Bruiser won't tell me what he done to that other Raichu in the backyard and nobody would tell me what those two Pikachus were doing behind the dumpster-"

Mark held up a hand to cut him off, he walked over to Ash and whispered the answer into his ear. It took him a minute to explain, "Oh," Ash gulped, "So that's how mating is practiced."

"Sorry, Ash," said Mark, "You're going to learn it sooner or later anyway so-"

"Let's go to bed now."

"Yeah."

**. . .**

Bruiser and Ray were tough lugs, Doc saw. They slept on the floor, with no pillow and no blanket. Ray snores occasionally as Bruiser slept with silence. The latter's face was peaceful while the former looked like he was thinking of tasty treats or something. Ray murmured in his sleep, usually telling the "fireworks to go away." They were so dead asleep, they didn't stir when Doc laid down a thick blanket and rolled them onto it. Hopefully their dreams tonight were good ones.

Doc then turned to his bed, Tesla slept on his back with his head on the pillow. His elder son sleeping beside him, Doc noticed a soft smile on the elder Pikachu's face, like his life was rejuvenated. Doc picked them both up and tucked them beside him, they too were deep sleepers. He then pulled off Tesla's eye-goggles and peered through them. Whoa, it needed cleaning. Mud and skin oil stained both the inside and outside of the lens, how could Tesla see through these? Doc opened the nightstand and pulled out a moist towelette he use to clean his glasses, he tore the packet open and vigorously wiped the lens until they were clear. Then he pulled out a lens cloth and wiped off all the fuzz. Once clear, Doc sat the eye-goggles on the nightstand and rubbed Tesla's head, he let out a soft coo in his Pokémon language as he unconsciously wrapped an arm around his son.

Tesla always had a soft side to him, Doc learned this while growing up with him. He always gave him peanut butter, groom his fur with a comb, and most importantly, defend him when he was being teased. Tesla grew affectionate with him, always bursting with happiness every time Doc showed up to his house throughout his childhood and adolescence. The old Pikachu's affection for him cooled since adulthood, mostly because of old age, but Tesla reacted the same. Just slower.

_Amazing, _Doc thought, _I'm in my fifties and he's still around, even after my grandfather and my father went 2 meters under._

Though Tesla mellowed and warmed up a bit, he was still the same old talking Pikachu he knew and loved. A figment of the past thriving in the present. Doc sat his glasses on the nightstand and pulled the covers over him. He killed the light and wrapped an arm around the two old Pikachus, Andrew Westinghouse drifted off to sleep minutes later.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	14. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 13_

For one Dixierat, he could do anything but sleep, as this night was his last.

He laid on his belly of his urine-stained and feces-laced cage under the Galactical plain. He laid still, any movement of his muscles would shoot a slab of pain through his nerves. His broken lightning bolt tail laid untreated. It reeked with a horrid smell. The Dixierat knew that smell all too well. It was death. A part of him had died and was rotting, while still attached. If that wasn't bad enough, several other bones and limbs were broken. His ribs stab into his chest from every breath, threatening to puncture the vital organs they used to protect. The Dixierat glanced at the cage door, his eyes dragging razor blades inside their sockets. Could it be unlocked? Yes, it could. Sometimes the Man leave it unlocked so his Joltik would feast on his electricity. The Dixierat shuddered. That was the worst. All his energy was kept to the lowest point possible. He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't felt fatigue. He only remembered it lifting at times, only to crash back on him with vengeance seconds later. The Joltik sucked him almost near dry, anymore would ceased his nervous system function and everything would shut down.

But that wouldn't be necessary, his cheeks hadn't produced a single amp of energy since since the last time he remembered feeling hungry. What little energy was produced was the occasional liter of water, simply dumped over him as if he was a plant. He managed to catch some gulps into his mouth, but not all, the rest just washed away his mess.

_Why were they so mean to me, _the Dixierat thought, _Why?_

That was the big question, wasn't it? His heart torn from neglect, stomped on with abuse. He couldn't understand, why were these humans so cruel? They were capturing his family members for years, and somehow he himself was captured. He watched, one by one, his parents and his siblings die. The grunts had a long stick with a noose at end, coated with thick rubber to stop electric attacks. They would reach into the cave and wrap the noose around their necks, then with a mighty pull they snap them, pulling their limp bodies out for whatever devious purpose they had in store for them. Sometimes a Dixierat would get an arm through the noose, and that too, gets snapped. The sight was more horrifying than his greatest fears.

He wasn't sure why his fate was delayed while his immediate family was wiped out, probably chosen at random for this cage, to feed that damned Joltik. The Dixierat knew he won't be feeding that Joltik any longer, he felt his body finally giving out. He hadn't urinated since this morning and his breathing became more shallow and hoarse. The end was near. His only hope left was in that mighty purple thunderbolt that dominated the sky earlier that evening. It was so pretty, and powerful. The EMP had knocked out the poacher's computers and radio equipment. It was a sign, a sign that 30 years of oppression would come to the end. All Dixierats know of one being who can shoot lightning like that. He closed his eyes, yet didn't smile, he had no strength left to do so.

_A sign, it was a sign. There's a thunderstorm rising, and it's coming this way. I can feel it, I can..._

That was the Dixierat's last thought before his mind come to a close.

**. . .**

The sun rose over Dixie National Park, steadily trickling up over the horizon until it was just barely over the trees. It was a quiet morning today, mostly because of Tesla's EMP. The Dixierats affected by the pulse stayed in their burrows, nursing their sore cheeks. Some Pikachus and Pichus still felt nauseous from yesterday, mothers and siblings hold each other, moaning their discomfort. The Raichus managed to handle the soreness better than their lesser kin, their cheeks weren't sore but fatigue and headaches kept them in their holes. Those with children covered their ears as they complained their suffering, they don't wanna have it today.

For the few Dixierats who avoided the EMP altogether, crawled out of their dens to find the usual gathering spots deserted. When they checked up on their neighbors, they realized the extent of the problem and did their best to ease their suffering. One tried to share its electricity to one of the sore Pikachus. It screamed, grabbing its cheeks as it broke down crying. Seemed that any charge does more harm than good.

For the town, they were having just as a hard time. Realizing how bad their situation was with the downed transformer and the fried computers, an emergency meeting of town council was called. Several prominent residents cram themselves into the aging town hall and sat in chairs, most were old enough to remember the Dixierats first moving in to the area that would be known as Dixie National Park. They were also old enough to remember Irvin Westinghouse and his famous Pokémon battles on TV, including Tesla Westinghouse. There was doubt Tesla was really here in the Dixie, and even more doubted that he was really the founder of the Dixierats. That all changed when they saw the purple-neon Thunderbolt that sent their town back to the Dark Ages.

Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny was there, naturally being part of the town council. They had drawn up evidence to support the rumors and even Tesla's pardoned criminal past. With their equipment destroyed by the EMP, they had to use trusted out of town contacts to ship them in. It was a great risk to the secret, but they doubt it would be a secret for much longer.

The mayor himself was an old man, a former Pokémon trainer and gym leader. His name was Victor Sordino, aged 63, with a full head of hair and youthful skin. He, himself, had once battled Irvin Westinghouse in his younger years and had met Tesla. His initial impressions of the old Pikachu told him that this was one powerful Pokémon not to mess with, though such instincts went unheard of for amateur. Irvin eventually beat him, Sordino was surprised to find Tesla not enthusiastic about it. Even though Tesla hadn't done the actual battling, it looked like he disproved of the results regardless of the outcome. He didn't realize the old Pikachu hated Pokémon battling at the time until after Irvin's death.

And now the past had come back to haunt him.

As he walked into the room, kerosine and electric lamps lit the room instead of the familiar florescent lighting. The town hall's ancient backup generator failed to turn over, the dim lighting set an ominous mood in the room. He stood before the crowd and gulped, his hands sweating as he gripped the wooden podium, "Ladies and gentlemen," he spoke, "thank you all for coming. This emergency meeting is now in session."

Expressionless faces stared back at him in response.

"As you know, due to unusual circumstances. An Electromagnetic Pulse, or EMP for short, has been unleashed on our town. We, as of yet, have not heard from the regional government of Unova. All communication lines are cut but the train system still functions, for now we'll be relying on the railroad for any news and updates of the pressing situation."

"What caused it, Mayor?" a voice in the back asked.

"Someone, or something, created the great big purple Thunderbolt yesterday. I sent several officers, including Officer Jenny, to investigate the source. What we found was a destroyed Pikachu trap, 5 human bodies with bullet wounds, and 2 dismembered corpses burned beyond recognition. We believe the Thunderbolt was intended for the former, but we do not know who or what caused it."

"Are the poachers responsible?" another voice asked.

"The investigation concluded that the poachers were the _victims_, not the ones who caused it. We do not believe that it was caused by a legendary Pokémon, nor are we sure if it _was _caused by a Pokémon. However, we do believe, without a doubt, that the Dixierats played a role in this."

"Could it be Andy's experiments?" a middle-aged woman said.

"No," said Mayor Sordino, "this incident occurred nowhere near his home."

"Has anyone figured that it could be Tesla," Charles, a longtime resident who worked at the barbershop asked, "he can produce purple lightning."

"Sometimes a bluish purple," said Sordino, "If it was indeed Tesla, then we would track him down. However, we do not have proof at this time that it was indeed him, just our suspicions," he shuffled through his papers and added, "Our very own Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny has something for us today, apparently related between the ongoing conflict between the Dixierat and the poachers, and could have contributed to the EMP. Madams, you have the stage."

Joy and Jenny stepped up, standing side by side they gave them their conclusions, "Just two days before," said Officer Jenny, "A Pikachu wearing goggles was spotted on the train towards Dixie, apparently it jumped off while it was still moving and slammed into our welcome sign. It later came to our Pokémon Center where Nurse Joy stitched a laceration on its forehead."

Nurse Joy continued, "I have managed to retrieve some blood samples and ran it into our DNA scanner, it confirmed that this Pikachu was indeed Tesla Westinghouse. Not only that, I compared his DNA with multiple Dixierat samples in our database, selected at random. We got a match by relation on each one, also confirming that Tesla is indeed the founder of the Dixierats."

That stirred murmurs throughout the room, when everyone quieted down Officer Jenny added, "I have already questioned Tesla himself, he was spending time around Doc's house. Turns out they were old friends and were close, as Dr. Andrew Westinghouse was the grandson of his trainer. The Pikachu was indeed old, yet he showed strength. I just wanna asked about his history, since I couldn't find any records of his criminal history, as he just had a pardon recently. The Pikachu avoided the question, clearly wanting to put it all behind him. When I asked about his opinions about his own descendents, he told me they're idiots and pests. Apparently he has a lot in common with us."

A few folks in the room chuckled, recalling the recent Dixierat infestation in the local restaurant.

"Where is he now?" a voice in the crowd asked.

"He's holding up at Doc's place, we do not expect Tesla venturing out. This Pikachu is old and often tired, mostly due to his laziness than his age," more laughter rose up, this time louder, after it died down Officer Jenny got serious, "Either Tesla's going to cooperate or not, we gotta hunt him down. He may be our only key to get control of the Dixierats. However, the poachers are getting wind of him and may try to catch him. Remember, he's no ordinary Pikachu, if he indeed cause that Thunderbolt then all we need for him to do is confess. Once he confess, we'll have him arrested and we can interrogate him further."

"What if he turns against us?" the local news reporter asked.

"He won't, only if we don't set off his temper or sic our Pokémon on him. Holding onto him may be a battle in of itself if we do detain him, he has advance intelligence and may solve every puzzle we give him. His trainer made sure he got a thorough education."

"Thank you, Officer Jenny," said Mayor Sordino, "I would like to ask you to go over to Andy's house sometime later today and look for Tesla, then interrogate him there."

"I'll do it," Nurse Joy volunteered, "Tesla cooperates with me better. Besides, I need to ask Andy a few things about other matters anyway."

Sordino nodded, "Okay then, I'm sure you can pull it off."

"I have one more thing to add: Tesla likes alcohol, his breath reeked with it while I was stitching his gash. If we get him drunk, he would relax enough and start yammering away."

"How do we do that?" Officer Jenny asked.

"I could lace a beer bottle with a little bit of 91% alcohol, but that could risk poisoning him. Maybe something other than beer would do the job."

"Wine, vodka, how about moonshine? I know Andy has a still somewhere out there that makes it, or he has a friend to do the moonshine making for him. By law, I have the authority to take down an unlicensed still. But since he isn't making it for monetary purposes, I never bother asking him about it."

"So we're going to get him drunk?" the store clerk who sold Mark ice cream bars for his Pokémon asked.

"That option is on the table," said Officer Jenny, "If we're going to go with it, I don't think it wouldn't be hard."

"Well then," said Sordino, "I think we got somewhere to start with."

The emergency meeting drifted off other worries, like getting portable generators to keep refrigerators running and keeping tabs of the outside world. When the town council dispersed, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny met up outside the town hall, "Can we even get him drunk?" Nurse Joy asked.

"That old Pikachu has old wounds he like to nurse," said Officer Jenny, "his face shows it when I was talking to him. I'll try to get a hold of some moonshine while you visit Andy's place. Remember, don't press Tesla too hard or you'll break the charm."

"I won't press him hard." said Nurse Joy.

Officer Jenny shook her hand, "Good luck, Joy. You're going to need it."

"I'll need more than luck to get him talking."

**. . .**

Tesla couldn't remember the exact point he woke up, he slipped from unconsciousness to consciousness so smoothly that he wondered if he was still asleep. With his brain feeling groggy, he just laid there for a moment, trying to catch a few more Z's. Without warning, he felt something stir next to him. A tiny hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him, _"Dad," _it was his son, _"Dad, are you up?"_

The old Pikachu sat up and looked at his elder son. He blinked as his tired eyes tried to make sense of the blurry yellow ball with one eye, "What happened?" he asked.

_"You slept early yesterday," _said the elder Dixierat, _"I think you slept 14 hours."_

"Sounds like a new record."

_"Are you alright, Dad?"_

"I'm just hungry, I couldn't remember eating dinner last night."

_"You hadn't."_

Tesla groaned, "No wonder my belly's killing me."

He started crawling for the edge of the bed, however he couldn't tell where the edge was. His hand missed the edge and he tumbled onto the concrete floor. The elder Pikachu yelped as Tesla laid motionless on his back, _"Are you okay!?" _he cried.

"I'm fine," said Tesla, "It's just a small foible."

When the old Pikachu got to his feet, his consciousness came to full circle. He peered through the blurry world to see for anything clear, but he couldn't. His vision had failed him, a ping of panic ripped through his chest. He shot a hand over his face and realized the problem, his eye goggles were gone.

"Andy," he cried, "Andy, you there!? Andy!?"

No response.

Tesla got on all fours and crawled to what he could make out as a door, the elder Pikachu rushed up by his side and guided him along. When they reached the door, they pushed it open and stepped out into the living room, "Andy? Ash? Is anyone there?"

"Tesla," he heard Ash's voice, "What's wrong?"

_"What's wrong, Tesla?" _Ash's Pikachu asked.

He felt Ash pick him up and held him close, "I can't see, someone took my goggles!"

Tesla heard the kitchen door fly open and Andy running through, "Whoops! Sorry, Tesla. Almost forgot!"

Within seconds Andy handed Tesla his eye-goggles, feeling it in his hands relieved the panic. When he put them on, he was surprised to find the world more clearer than before. Like crystal clear, no blur or anything, "Oh that is much better."

"I took them off to clean them," said Andy, "they were dirty."

Tesla groaned and rested his head on Ash's shoulder, "I'm going to go back to sleep now."

"For Ho-Oh's sake, you've been asleep for 15 hours! And you wanna go _back _to sleep?"

"I'm twice your age, Andy."

"That ain't an excuse, the older you get the less sleep you need."

Before Tesla could fire it back, Ash stepped in, "Do you guys always argue?"

"Usually politics." Andy answered.

"Faraday Island politics." Tesla added.

Ash took him to the Pichu egg and sat him next to it. Tesla turned and glance at it, someone changed its position in the blankets but it looked alright, "That Pichu's going to keep you awake while you raise it." said Andy.

"All youngsters keep me awake," said Tesla, "I remember Nobark waking me up by headbutting my stomach. I was so piss that I consider taking a baseball bat and smash his head open, I had to resist cause I know I can't bash his thick melon open no matter how hard I try."

"Who's Nobark?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"An old friend, I met him when he was a baby Scraggy. He later evolved into a Scrafty, I hadn't seen him since Irvin's death. I think he's somewhere in Unova, doing who-knows-what."

Tesla sat back on the couch and relaxed, "Right now I'm just not interested in telling a 'Back in My Day' story, I'm just really hungry right now."

"I'll fix you something." said Andy.

"Thanks, Andy."

**. . .**

The Joltik was just getting up out of its bed. Having spent the night inside a trailer, he was unaffected by the EMP, nor did he knew what was happening. The tiny parasite crawled out through the trailer's skylight and stretched his legs. Time to get to work.

His usual routine was sitting on his master's shoulder during breakfast, then wander off to suck the energy off the Dixierat he caged for him. After that, he just roam around till his master calls for him. Somewhere around noon, he feasts the Dixierat's energy again. Follow his master again, feast the energy off the Dixierat for a third time, then go to bed. It was a simple routine, his master made sure it was very convenient for him. The other humans occasionally take note of the Attaching Pokémon, sometimes they get a hold of them to charge their Pokédexs and hand-held radios. The Joltik was generous enough to share some of his electricity, becoming somewhat of a mobile charger.

The Joltik couldn't remember the days before he wound up in captivity. For some reason, his memory evaded him. He couldn't remember his parents or his siblings. All he remembered was his home, Chargestone Cave, but he couldn't remember where it was exactly. It didn't take much for his master to catch him. The Joltik was out wandering around in the wilderness for tasty treats when he got caught in one of his traps, his Master stunned him with an EMP grenade, then caught him with a Poké ball. Somehow, the Poké ball wiped much of his memory. He couldn't return back to his former life as a wild Pokémon, even if he wanted to he had no home to go back to. Besides, he liked it here. The Joltik and his master had been in this camp for years, and the Joltik loved to latch itself onto the Dixierats to steal some of their electricity. The Dixierats come and go, he didn't have time to make friends with them. No matter, he and his master were here to get a hold of Dixierats after all. Maybe some day, he would have a long-term host to feed off of. If his master allows it, of course. Capturing one of those Raichus would made his day, as they have more electricity in their system. He'd seen a few of them in those cages the humans brought in, but he never got near them. His master wouldn't allow him near the caged Dixierats, just only one, for the Dixierat's own purposes only.

He crawled across the sleepy camp, seeing no human along the way. Everyone must be sleeping in today, or the Joltik was up early. He wasn't sure, he never really kept much track of time. The Attaching Pokémon crawled up the pedestal log up to his host's cage, then squeezed through the bars. The Joltik noticed his host was still sleeping. On some mornings, his host would be sleeping like this. Sometimes he would feel weak, or quite energetic. The pattern was strangely random, though he never complained. He was used to this random pattern, sometimes his host's noisy, other times he's quiet. The Joltik never really talked to him, and his host never tried to talk, as he was so exhausted all the time.

When the Joltik crawled on his host, he noticed something strange. His host was cold, his usually warm body was cold. Worried, the Joltik tried to wake his host by jumping up and down on his back. He didn't stir. The Joltik sat there for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. His host was cold and wasn't moving. Why?

_"__Hello," _the Joltik finally asked, _"are you awake?"_

Nothing.

The Joltik relaxed and tried to suck its electricity, only to find there was no electricity to drain. Puzzled, the Joltik got off his host and crawled in front of him, _"Hello?" _he called out, _"Hey, Dixierat, can you wake up, please?"_

Still nothing.

_Odd, _the Joltik thought, _this isn't normal._

He pressed his legs and searched around his neck, it didn't take him long to realize his host wasn't breathing. So he was cold and wasn't breathing, the Joltik connect the two together...

_Oh no, _he realized, _he's dead! My host is dead! What happened!?_

**. . .**

Ralph Hendrickson swore when he saw his Joltik had got to the body before he did. Usually when a Dixierat dies in that cage, he switches it with a live one and the Joltik's none the wiser. Had his alarm clock gone off sooner, he might had gotten it done. Now he had some explaining to do why the Dixierat had died, which would be tough. This Joltik may be the most dumbest Pokémon he had ever caught, just one wrong word would cause him to defect. And right now, he needed all the help he could get.

"Joltik?" he called out to him.

Joltik spun around and jumped, he was stricken with grief and shock, "Jolt!"

"What's wrong?"

The Attaching Pokémon started jumping up and down on the host, crying its eyes out, "Joltik! Joltik! Joltik!"

"Joltik, look, that Pikachu was pretty sick. He wasn't going to make it."

_Sh*t_, Hendrickson thought, he hadn't thought this through.

Joltik just broke down, he squeezed his way through the bars and jumped onto the ground. Hendrickson watched as the parasite ran off into the woods, crying. He didn't bother chasing him. This wasn't the first time Joltik ran out like that, and it wouldn't be the last. Would it?

Ralph shook his head and unlocked the cage, then pulled out the dead Pikachu. Might as well dispose of the rat since he had time, today was going to be a busy day.

**. . .**

"Can you handle watching the Pokémon Center for a while," Nurse Joy asked her two Audinos, "and make sure this Pikachu don't run off like the last one?"

Both Audinos nodded, "Aud!" they said in unison.

And yes they will. The windows were locked and the blinds drawn, the injured Pikachu won't be leaving through windows like his other brethren. However, they do not expect this Pikachu to bail out on them. So far he had been cooperative with her and the Audinos. He was taking his pain medication and keeping it down, but when he got hit by the unexpected EMP yesterday. The Dixierat became disoriented and confused. They don't expect any problems from him, as he loved the attention from the Audinos, "Okay," said Nurse Joy, "I'm going to run over to Andy's, I'll be back before noon."

She left the Pokémon Center minutes later, heading down main street of Dixie. With the power off, people were spending more time outside. Camping chairs were propped up, fire pits were started. The older folks told stories about their time in their hay days, while the younger residents tend to their Pokémon. Nurse Joy passed the crowds, a few folks occasionally waved at her and she waved back. She'd knew these people for a long time, a time before the Dixierats.

Now it looked like that time again. Nurse Joy hadn't seen a single Dixierat out in the alleys and streets today. There weren't any toppled trash cans, no little turd piles, no sign of them anywhere. The damage caused by the EMP must have kept them in their burrows. The poor things. Maybe Nurse Joy would pay a visit later, see if they're doing alright.

Nurse Joy made it onto Andy's dirt road and headed straight for his house. She occasionally glance around, seeing if there were any Dixierats in the bushes. Almost every time she comes out into the forest, the Dixierats would approach her. Sometimes wanting to be petted, or wanting food. Usually one or two would show up, or a small pack. One time she recalled an entire herd approach her, dancing around her and singing their catchy tune. Those were good days. Sadly today, there won't be any Dixierats wandering about. Just like in town, she hadn't seen one of the yellow fur balls anywhere. Nurse Joy sighed, even though they smell bad she still liked being around them.

There it was. The house, or bunker. House bunker. Nurse Joy wondered why he spent hundreds of thousands of Pokédollars building such a small military-grade hut in the middle of the forest. He never really explained how, or why. He claimed that he had access to his grandfather's bank account, but Nurse Joy wondered if he had some sort of income. He had to be paying the mortgage somehow.

Nurse Joy knocked on the door, within seconds Andy answered it. He was already dressed in his usual outfit with a fresh white lab coat, the look in his eyes suggest he was a morning person, "Morning, Nurse Joy." said Andy.

"Morning, Andy. How are you doing this morning?"

"Oh good, the only thing going on over here is the faulty satellite reception. That powerful Thunderbolt yesterday somehow garbled it up," then he changed the subject, "So what are you here for?"

"I just wanna see how Tesla's doing, word got around saying he's staying with you."

Andy nodded, "He's a Pokémon I inherited from another time, had I told you he's been around since my grandfather was a kid?"

"Yes," said Nurse Joy, "you told me this a gazillion times."

"I'm not sure if he's in the mood, since he never really is. But he's right inside, quite talkative this morning."

_Bingo, _Nurse Joy thought, _this would make things a whole lot easier._

"Can I come in?"

"Yes, Joy."

Nurse Joy walked in and Andy shut the door behind him. Sure enough, there was Tesla, sitting on the couch next to a bundled up Pichu egg. The elder Pikachu was by his side, his head resting against his shoulder. Bruiser and Ray were sitting on the opposite couch, staring off into space. As Andy walked into the kitchen, Nurse Joy sat down on the center couch, "Hello, Tesla." she said.

Tesla turned to Nurse Joy, his face showed confusion, "Have we met before?"

"At the Dixie Pokémon Center, you came in with a gash in your head. All silly and hyped up on alcohol."

The old Pikachu placed his hand over the bandage, "Oh, now I remember. I've been in so many Pokémon Centers that I just let the moment slip my mind. Of all the Nurse Joy's I met, they always acted the same. I showed the charm, and they melt like butter," Tesla chuckled, "One of the many perks of being an adorable little Pokémon," then he raised his voice and turned to Bruiser and Ray, "who does nothing but sit around and sh*t on the floor all day!"

Bruiser and Ray chuckled, Tesla turned back to Nurse Joy, "So tell me, how was it treating these Dixierats of ridiculous injuries?"

"Painstaking work."

"Tell me about it, I spent 70 years keeping Irvin's Pokémon from getting into something stupid. But on occasion, they sucked me into their affairs and I found myself stirring up trouble in Irvin's hometown."

"What is Irvin like?" Nurse Joy asked.

"A lot like Andy, a sarcastic asshole who's good at what he does. Not good with mingling with people, always hang around Pokémon. Eventually it took over his life, I remembered one time Irvin used to be married. But sadly, his wife left him. His Pokémon obsession was just too great for her to handle, and just when she was about to get custody of their kids, they left her. The same thing happened with their spouses, Andy left his mother after the divorce. Then he got married, had kids, and the marriage fell apart. She took the kids, which they soon left her to start their own journeys. It's the family curse, centered around _me._"

"You?" Nurse Joy asked.

Tesla frowned, "I'm the one who cursed the Westinghouse family, I made them famous but ruined their social lives. It started when Irvin was trying gauge my power, he foolishly held up a copper pipe and told me to give it all that I got. So I did, and his hand exploded in a red explosion and he passed out momentary."

"Oh my gosh!"

"It was so horrifying, but I just sat there. I knew I was going to take his hand off, at the time I couldn't talk the human language. But even if I did, I wouldn't say anything. I just stared at him for some time until he came to, he sat up all smiling and jokingly said, "Okay, I didn't thought this through.

"His mom came out and screamed, he claimed it was just a flesh wound. Yeah, a stump of an arm with blood spewing out is a flesh wound, way to go Irvin. Way to go."

Andy came back out, "What were her last words when you were at her death bed, Tesla?"

"She said, 'F*ck you!', and then she flat-lined. Irvin and his kids couldn't tell if they should be laughing or crying. It was the most ridiculous end of a life I had ever witnessed, I feel stupid every time I thought back at it."

"Family curse." said Andy, then he went back to the kitchen.

Tesla turned back to Nurse Joy, "So why are you here, Nurse Joy? Anything you want?"

"You're the founder of the Dixierats, right?"

"Yes, I am. The Dixierats were brought to the world as lab rats, created out of greed and corruption. Irvin wanted to make a little bit of cash to buy some equipment for his farm, and I wanted children. Then I found myself into the breeding program, where I met Polly," a warm smile came to Tesla's face, "She was the love of my life, I tell you. It was love in first sight, despite the age gap between us. I was in my thirties, she was just a few weeks old."

"Were you feeling old age at the time?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Sort of, but its a far cry from what I feel now."

Then he drifted off and sighed, "I'm still broken-hearted when they took her away from me, it felt like loosing my family all over again. In the end, we produced a lot of children. I found myself mating with 7 other Pikachus over the course of my life time, but I produced the majority of Pichu eggs with Polly. She was the only one who I would ever truly love."

"You poor thing." said Nurse Joy.

"All these Dixierats, they're descendents of me and Polly. They're all I have left of her," then he hoisted up the elder Pikachu for Nurse Joy to see, "This old fella with the one eye, he's my son. What's really hard is that I wasn't there for him in his childhood, he's been in deep pain for years. But I'm sure you've known this."

Nurse Joy nodded, "He keeps coming back to the Pokémon Center, I wasn't sure what to do. He was the first Dixierat who came in to treat his initial injuries, then he keep coming back, begging for something, but I didn't know what."

"He wanted love, Nurse Joy. He wanted someone to be there with _love, _or something to provide a connection. Turns out he knew I was his father, I gave him a hug and his pain faded away."

The elder Pikachu glanced at Nurse Joy with his one eye, a soft smile stretched across his face, "He's better now?" she asked.

"Yes," said Tesla, "He is."

The room went silent.

"Nurse Joy," said Tesla, "You know that the Dixierats are being destroyed by the same reasons what brought them to the world?"

"The poachers?" she asked.

"Yes, the poachers. Believe it or not, the first human beings I ever met were poachers, and they were trying to kill me. I was a Pichu then, with my family. I just saw my uncle get blown away by a .12 gauge shotgun, I never gave a 2nd thought about that moment until I saw a massacre of Dixierats two days earlier. Ray, Bruiser, and this Pichu egg is all that remains of the pack."

"It's the worst that ever happened." said Bruiser.

Tesla raised an eyebrow, "The worst that ever happened? You mean, 'The worst massacre that had ever happened in Dixieland?"

"Yeah, you know what I mean."

"Just making sure, Bruiser."

Tesla turned back to Nurse Joy, "I need your help, but I'm going to need Officer Jenny in this as well. Yesterday, that Thunderbolt you saw charging up into the sky signifies that the gloves have come off. The poachers are pissed, and there's a chance they would raid the town if desperate enough. My experiences is that such a chance would be taken, sooner or later. Maybe next week, or 10 years. Doesn't matter when, what's important is that we stop them from it."

"What are you planning, Tesla?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Fight fire with fire."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	15. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 14_

Ralph knew what this meant, the lack of communication to HQ means no outside help, and with what little resources he had, wasn't enough. There was enough ammo to continue poaching operations for a month, just enough time to get _something _back up and running. But time was running out, and he needed to make a move. There was enough ammo for a raid against the town, and the locals don't have any firearms to begin with. Unova's strict gun laws was a laugh, it just made everybody, even cops, vulnerable to psychos with assault rifles. But Hendrikson's men were no psychos, they can be reasoned with. He personally selected them from the many applications they filled out, no doubt some of them put in alias to hide their true identity. He didn't care, Ralph understands the need to protect their personal life, especially if things were to go wrong.

And things had gone wrong. The Dixierats would soon realize the poachers were down to their level, on their own and helpless. It was a perfect chance for them to stage an attack, since they outnumber them from a hundred to one. They have one disadvantage. The Dixierats move as a mass group of individuals, not as a unit. Any attack they would stage would be uncoordinated and sporadic. Most importantly, the Dixierats don't have the heart to fight. They're cowards, weaklings. Sure they can intimidate, but they can't back it up. It takes one clever guy to see through their bluff and they're screwed.

But this Tesla character was different. Unlike the Dixierats, their founder has the heart to inflict harm. If he somehow rallies up the Dixierats to engage an assault, then his dying operation would crumble. Could he somehow stop Tesla _before _he asserts his power? Sure, that would work. Even if his operation crumbles, he could take the time to set up a 2nd one in Dixie if Team Rocket HQ would allow it, assuming he could keep it all a secret from Unova's public eye.

With exposure, the threat of imprisonment, and possibly an incoming attack from the pissball rats, Hendrikson doesn't know what to do. Saving his own skin by bailing out now would buy him time in the short-term, yet Team Rocket doesn't take kindly for defectors. He had the money to afford a lawyer and a good attorney, just in case the world calls down the hammer. The legal part he planned, in case the authorities would catch him. However, the illegal part was sketchy. His men revolting or a possible attack from the Dixierats, made it almost impossible to plan for the possibility. The legal problems were in a fixed predictable fashion, yet the illegal problems were dynamic, and surprises would turn up everywhere. Even if he expects them. Hendrikson had been poaching for so long, he'd fallen victim to routine. Now that routine was broken, and he's stumbling around like an idiot. His men would get wind of this and try to bail out, maybe going over to the authorities and reveal his part in all this.

But it hadn't gotten to that part yet, his men hadn't decided what to do. They still expect him to give them orders, to do something, to avert a disaster that may or may not bring Unova's attention to the Dixierats. Ralph thought about his options, and thought hard. The Pikachu with the goggles keep coming back to his mind.

_I gotta take Tesla out, _he thought, _He would ruin me if I don't._

And with Tesla out of the picture, he would delay disaster, which would buy him enough time to reorganize his resources and reestablish communications with HQ. The only question was, where is he?

_Maybe that mad scientist knows, or maybe he has him._

Now that was a possibility.

An idea clicked in his head, Ralph knew what to do.

**. . .**

Mark's new Pikachu couldn't hold still. As he ate breakfast with Ash, Cilan, and Iris, the female Pikachu continuously pestered him to pet her. Mark couldn't help but laugh, the Pikachu was so desperate in getting his attention she even tried climbing up on the kitchen table. Her attempt failed when the shiny sprite Emolga leaped up on her back and pulled her down. The two fussed over it for a moment, then hugged each other.

_Adorable, _Mark thought as he ate the last of his pancakes, _the world seems to be filled with Pokémon like Emolga and the Polarity duo. _

Speaking of Plusle and Minun, they sat at the corner and shared a plate of pancakes, mumbling to themselves in a language no human could understand. The two giggled and laughed, not acknowledging what was going on around them.

"Pikachu," the female Pikachu started up again, she got up on Mark's leg and pulled on his pants, "Pika Pika!"

Mark glanced down on her. The look in her eyes were too hard to resist, he sighed and picked her up, "You already finished eating breakfast?"

She nodded, "Pi!"

When Mark sat her down on his lap, the Mouse Pokémon climbed up on his shoulder and rubbed her head against his. He just simply stared at Ash with a neutral face as she rubbed all over his ear, "I gotta get hold of a Poké ball, yet I don't wanna show up in Dixie with her on my shoulder. The cops would catch wind of this and jail me without a trial, and who knows what would happen to her."

"You can leave her here and go to town." said Ash.

"PI!" the Pikachu screamed in Mark's ear, she hugged his head and whined.

"She won't leave my side, Ash." said Mark.

"There's gotta be something we could do." said Iris.

"With the power outage in town, I think its the perfect opportunity to smuggle her out of Dixie. I promised myself not to bushwhack out of this town cause that's how I got in, just to avoid paying a ticket for the train ride. I guess I gotta break that promise."

"Where you're gonna go?" Cilan asked.

"Nimbasa City first, then loop back towards the coast and head back home to Faraday Island."

"When you're gonna leave?" Ash asked.

"Until we kick the poachers out of the Dixie. Got a plan to find their camp?"

"I can have Unfezant travel fly around for signs of campfire smoke."

"And we can set up a search party in the meantime." added Cilan.

"Pikachu!" Ash's Pikachu cheered.

Mark turned and saw Pikachu and Axew, sitting in front of empty bowls. Seeing that breakfast was over, Mark stood up and stretch his legs, "Well, I'm going to go venture out in Dixie and track down some of the Dixierat packs, get a better sense where all these Mice Pokémon cool down after a long day. Maybe they can give us clues that point towards the poacher's encampment."

"Be careful, Mark." said Ash.

"Ash, I've served in the military. I am trained to be careful, and besides, I always carry heat."

Mark made a sharp whistle his teeth and Plusle and Minun rushed up to him, he pulled out their Poké balls and aim it that them, "Cheering duo, return."

Two red beams shot at Plusle and Minun and sucked them into their Poké balls, Mark pocketed them and turned to Emolga, "How's your cheeks, Emolga?"

She rubbed them and murmured, "Emo."

"Still hurting?"

The shiny sprite nodded.

"Still that bad?"

She shook her head.

"Okay then."

Emolga climbed up Mark and perched herself on his shoulder, Mark bent over and picked up the female Pikachu, "You know where the packs are?"

She nodded, "Pi."

"How many are there?"

The female Pikachu held up seven fingers.

"Let's start with the closest one from this bunker and spread out from there, we can't leave anything out."

"Pika."

Mark then turned to Ash, "See you guys later."

"Bye, Mark." said Ash.

"Pika." said his Pikachu.

Mark turned towards the door and left the kitchen.

**. . .**

Nurse Joy couldn't believe how easy this was, instead of bitter resistance Tesla opened up to her without much effort. He began talking about himself, obviously loving the sound of his own voice. The old Pikachu gave bits and details about his past, but nothing important. But Nurse Joy was far from disappointed, she listened in and took mental notes, eventually learning a little more about Tesla. After a few minutes of talking, Tesla's mood was ruined when Mark came into the room.

"Well that was random," Mark said as he noticed her, "Hello, Nurse Joy."

"Hello, Mark." said Nurse Joy.

"How's Tesla treating you?"

"He's alright."

Mark grinned, "He's that good with the ladies, isn't he?"

"Damn you, Mark." Tesla muttered.

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to piss him off, poor old thing put up with idiots for so long he had trouble making friends."

Tesla sighed, "Well you're not wrong there, there's just some folks I just can't tolerate."

"Mostly your own family members."

"You bastard."

Mark chuckled, then turned back to Nurse Joy, "See, it doesn't take much to piss him off."

"Do you have something to do, Mark?" Tesla asked.

"Yes, I do, I'm gonna track down the Dixierats to see what is up, something you should be doing since they're your own kin after all."

"They only know me from stories."

"Well, Tes, maybe you should assert yourself. Pull out the Dixierats you like and form your very own pack, or in other words, an immediate family."

"Emo." Emolga added.

Tesla thought for a moment, "Sound's like a plan, but I can't do a darn thing with the poachers on the prowl."

"What are you going to do about it?" Mark asked.

"I'm going to roast their leader with a Thunderbolt and watch them scatter, that's what I'm going to do."

Mark nodded, "Would you like fries with that?"

Tesla gave Mark a look, the late teenager bolted towards the door and pulled it open as a purple bolt of lightning went over his head. Nurse Joy squealed, the Thunderbolt was quick and sharp. Thick ozone floated around as Mark ran off laughing, the front door closing behind him, "He's the grandson of my trainer's best-friend," said Tesla, "As much as I want to, I just don't have the heart to shock him. His grandfather and I are close."

The door suddenly flew open and Mark stuck his head through, "Where's Andy?"

"Out back."

"Got it."

Mark withdrew and shut the door, Tesla groaned, "Third generation duo with an age gap, the classic Westinghouse slash Kissinger partnership. Brings back memories."

"How does Mark get along with Andy?" Nurse Joy asked.

"They act just like their grandfathers, from every habit to every foible. I wonder if Andy ever ran out in the night in his limey underpants, his father done that once, and so did Irvin. It's like family tradition."

Tesla turned to Bruiser and Ray, the two cousins were sitting back, snoozing in a nap. He then turned to the elder Dixierat, he too was sleeping, "Oh look at that, it's nap time."

Before Nurse Joy could say another word, Tesla fell asleep in an instant, "Oh well," she sighed, "that's enough for now."

She got up and left the bunker, maybe later Nurse Joy would grill him more. If possible.

**. . .**

The legacy Tesla had mentioned was all too familiar to Mark, he had researched his own family past and interviewed several people who knew both Irvin and his grandfather. Though the times had changed and the world moved on, the tradition created by the original duo had passed on to the next generation. Though Mark hadn't met any of Irvin's children, his father was a close friend to the eldest, who happened to be Andy's father. He couldn't remember his name, all he knew was that Irvin's eldest son was decades older than his father. Irvin's son was formerly a lieutenant in the Faraday City Police Department, Mark's father was assigned to be his partner just months before Irvin's death and the dismantlement of the Westinghouse Army.

Mark's Dad barely mentioned him, when he asked what was he like his father would just change the subject, or give a very terse response. From what Mark knew, Irvin's eldest son was killed in the line of duty when some idiot dropped a piano on his head 20 stories up. Cause of death: Total dismemberment. Ironically, the killer happened to be a former associate with Irvin during his younger days. Upon hearing who he'd just killed, that associate ate a bullet and the trial was over before it began.

What a messed up world.

Now, many years later, he had met Irvin's grandson. Determined to carry out the tradition, Mark decided to partner up with Andy to fight back against the poachers. He had come to his aid during that desperate shootout and he owed him one. Just how to repay that debt, was a good question.

Mark walked around the bunker and found Andy going through a small shed, the "mad scientist" was simply taking inventory. His movements were jerky and his breathing was fast, it was like he was rushing for something. Mark tightened his hold on the female Pikachu, who rested her head on his chest. She had fallen asleep, softly purring with each snore.

"Thanks for saving my ass yesterday," said Mark, "it would be hard to explain to Dad why I came back home in a body bag."

Andy laughed, "Classic Faraday Island humor, I missed it," he shut the shed and locked it, then turned to Mark, "So how is your old man?"

"He's the Chief of Police now, thanks to Tesla's pardon."

"You got money out of it?"

Mark grinned, "Ten-thousand Pokédollars worth, me and my Dad split the reward money and stuck it in our separate bank accounts. So I'm five-thousand dollars richer in my savings."

"Tesla's been around for so long, I wonder why he hadn't dropped dead yet."

"He almost did, twice. He'd lost a lot of blood from getting shot in the arm and leg, then got a lung punctured from his latest Pokémon battle. Either Tesla's dancing with Death or he's just lucky."

Andy nodded, "You and your father shot him."

That was no question, "Yes," said Mark, "We did, and Grandpa patched him up."

"Same old Matt?"

"Yup, Tesla's still close to him."

Andy looked up at the sky, there was a moment of silence, "I've been in the Dixie for 20 years, these Dixierats are another of my Grandpa's legacy. I dedicated myself to protect it, and now, since yesterday, the danger of the poachers has reared its head."

"You know where their encampment is?" Mark asked.

"Every time I do, they moved it. I'm working hard to pin them down. The EMP Tesla caused would make sure they stayed nailed in place for the time being, as they're more focused on establishing contact with their HQ."

"A window of opportunity."

Andy nodded, "Yes, indeed it is."

"Should one of the Dixierats know the location of their main camp?"

"That's a possibility, we're going to need Ray or Bruiser for this one."

**. . .**

Tesla took a moment to recall a time where he felt happy 24/ 7, just like the Dixierats. It was so long ago that it was nothing but a faded memory, whose existence should have belonged to someone else. He was nothing like the Pichu he used to be. No longer was his vision clear, no longer was he stupid. If Tesla ever, if possible, be reunited with his parents and siblings, they wouldn't recognized him. He had hardened up on the inside and his enthusiasm was dead in the past. The only way he could feel it again if he had a stiff drink of alcohol, or something just as strong. It numbed his mind and thoughts, letting back in the feelings he was born with.

The last time he had alcohol was two days ago, and his tongue was feeling dry. Tesla licked the bridge of his mouth as he stared at the clock. It was still early. Just around 9AM. Too soon to get drunk. Even if he wanted to, a part of him couldn't. Ash was nearby, he didn't wanna drink in front of him and his Pikachu. It would be a bad influence, ruining the boy's thoughts. It was something he shouldn't think about. He wasn't sure about Cilan and Iris, they seem older than Ash, or slightly older. Regardless, they were just as young. Simple kids. Trainers. One of them was a gym leader for Ho-Oh's sake!...

_And what am I? _Tesla thought.

The old Pikachu shook the thought out of his head and took a deep breath, the air conditioned air was cool and fresh. It felt comforting for his aging lungs. So far, the nanobots in his bloodstream fixed up the defects in his organs, but how long could they keep him healthy? Another 100 years? Tesla didn't plan to live that long. Maybe someday he would dig his own grave and end it all.

However, that day won't be coming anytime soon. There were still some friends and a new family around. Strange how so many of his friends past away that they were replaced with new ones. He had been there when his oldest friends were born, watching them develop into adulthood was a strange experience. Every time he thought back at Emmett and Andy, he could still picture them in their cradle all those years ago. Despite the teasing Andy gives him, he couldn't the heart to hate him. Could his relationship with Mark be different if he saw him being born? In Mark's point-of-view, probably not. But Tesla would be more empathetical with him, not as angry every time he hears his voice.

"Bruiser?" Tesla called out.

The Raichu stirred and looked up, "Yeah, Tesla?" he asked as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Do you remember the place where you evolved?"

"Yes, I do."

"Can you take me over there?"

Bruiser blinked, "Why, Tes?"

"I just wanna understand what happened to you."

The elder Pikachu stirred and opened his one eye, _"Dad?"_

"Yes, son?" he asked.

_"What are we doing?"_

"On a little trip around Dixie, I got a plan but I'm going to need a few things," Tesla turned to Ray and called to him, "Ray, get up. We're heading out!"

Ray sat up and yawned, "Okay, Tesla."

The four Mice Pokémon walked out of the bunker, Tesla turned to Bruiser, "Lead the way, Bruiser."

Bruiser nodded, he started walking towards a random direction and the rest of the Mice Pokémon followed behind, "What are we doing?" Ray asked.

"Doing a little problem solving." Tesla answered.

"Okay."

**. . .**

Ash felt kinda sad when he noticed Tesla left. When he walked into the living room, the couches were empty except the Pichu egg. He checked the next the bedroom and conjoining bathroom just to be sure the house, or bunker, was empty. Sure enough it was.

"Looks like they're gone for the day." said Cilan.

"Not much for goodbyes." said Ash.

"Don't worry, Ash," said Iris, "They'll be back soon."

"Axew!" Axew chirped.

Ash nodded, "Let's head for town, maybe we can ask around if they know of anything about the poachers. We can also try to get a hold of an empty Poké ball for Mark's Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped.

They left the bunker and head down the dirt road. They walked briskly, just in case any Dixierat was nearby and took notice of them. Ash glanced in the small clearing where they were ambushed two days earlier. It was empty, nothing but flatted grass and Pikachu turds.

When they reached town, they saw the extent of the damage.

"There's a lot of people on the street." said Iris.

"Ax." Axew murmured.

Large trash cans were set outside, people were coming out of buildings, dumping armloads of food into them. People sat around campfires, having conversations with each other. The tone sounded worrisome, something was going on.

"Why are they dumping out the food?" Cilan asked, his voice sounding anxious.

"The power's out, remember?" Iris explained, "The fridges can't keep food cold without electricity."

"Is it that bad?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked as well.

"It will be if they can't get the power back on." said Cilan.

Ash glanced around, the streets were crowded from end to end. There was so much to cover, and a lot to piece together, "We should split up," he told his friends, "One of us cover one half of the town and the rest on the other."

"Good idea." said Iris.

"I gotta go to the Pokémon Center anyway," said Cilan, "I gotta get new bandages."

He held out his bitten arm, blood was soaking through the gauze while turning into a sickly brown color.

"How's the arm, Cilan?" Ash asked.

"It itches, itches really bad. I'll head to the Pokémon Center to get the bandages changed then take one half of the town, you guys can take the other half."

"Okay, Cilan, good luck."

"You too, Ash."

**. . .**

Cilan broke off from the main group and head straight to the Pokémon Center. He used all of his will to resist the itching. The irritation had dug deep to the bone, could that be a sign it was healing or it could be infected? Cilan was no doctor, but he guessed that it probably was a good sign he was feeling something at all. If it felt numb, or reeked a pungent smell, then he had no doubt it was indeed an infection. An infection that could cost him his arm.

When Cilan walked into the Pokémon Center, the two Audinos were there to greet him. He asked where the shower was, they pointed him down the hall where he walked in and stripped off the clothes Nurse Joy gave him days earlier. Cilan slipped into the shower and turned it on, with the water spraying on his back he carefully bandaged the wound, nervous at what he would find.

The skin around the puncture wounds were pale and sticky, Cilan cringed when he noticed how thick the scabbing was. He wondered how was he going to explain this to his brothers once he got back home. If he say it was a Pikachu, they're going assume it was Ash's Pokémon, if he say it was a Pikachu from elsewhere then they're going to question where exactly. Officially, the Dixierats do not exist in Unova. They're foreign Pokémon, cute and gourmet to the eyes of many. Cilan resist the urge to curse, how stupid it was to pull the Dixierat's tail. It was unconscious thought, simply pure instinct. The Dixierat probably didn't even mean to do it. He wondered where it was now, and what it was thinking. Could it be ashamed of what it did? The Dixierats were nice and wanted to play, yet they were greedy as Tesla and Andy described them. They ambushed them, they took their food, and they tried to take Ash's own Pikachu...

Cilan picked up the soap and carefully lathered it on his bite, then let the shower wash it. He went on scrubbing his armpits and hair with shampoo. It was hard to do with one hand, especially while scrubbing the conjoining armpit. When he was done, Cilan dried himself off and put his underpants back on. He glanced next to the lockers and noticed something interesting. T-shirt dispensers, all white and in a variety of sizes. Cilan pulled out his size from the dispenser and smelled it, it smelled fresh, yet a little crusty. This was straight out of the package, never been washed. He put it on and tossed the dirty t-shirt in the nearby laundry basket, then put his pants back on.

As he was getting his shoes on, one of the Audinos quietly tip-toed into the restroom. Cilan noticed it coming in and asked, "Do you have any fresh gauze wrapping?"

He showed him his bite, the Audino jumped at the sight of it, "Aud." it nodded sheepishly.

The Audino led him into the next room, it was a doctor's office, similar to what Nurse Joy brought him in, yet less serious. The Audino opened up a drawer and pulled out a roll of gauze, Cilan offered his arm, the Audino lathered some antibiotic ointment over his bite before wrapping the gauze over it.

"Aud Aud." The Audino said after it taped the gauze wrapping in place.

"Thank you," said Cilan, "you know where Nurse Joy is?"

The Audino shook his head, "Audino."

"Okay, I'll come back later. Bye, Audino."

The Audino smiled and waved, "Audino."

Just as Cilan was about to leave the building, he heard Nurse Joy's voice, "Cilan?"

He spun around on his heels and found her in the back, "Hello, Nurse Joy."

"The Audinos took care of you?"

"Yes."

Nurse Joy nodded, "Okay, then. I managed to find some fresh clothes for you, just like yours. Luckily I managed to order it before the blackout, it will be here in two days," then she added, "You know of anything that might caused the blackout?"

"No," Cilan lied, "Nothing at all."

"Did you see that lightning bolt yesterday?"

"I only felt the thunder, I was napping at the time."

"Cilan," Nurse Joy says, "If you know of anything about it, we need to know. Cause whoever caused that thunderbolt yesterday killed two poachers and now the town's worried if their buddies are seeking vengeance."

Cilan's eyes lit up, "Wait a second, back up. Nurse Joy, did you say _killed?_"

"Vaporized would be a better term, nothing left but a charred skeleton. Look, Cilan, I know I'm asking you too much but the town's paranoid right now. No _natural_ force in nature could have caused that lightning bolt, nor create an EMP that knocked out power in the town. Were you with Andy when it happened?"

"Yes."

"Did he say anything about it?"

"He ran out to see what it was, then came back exhausted. He didn't tell me what happened, all I know was that he was with me when the ground started shaking."

Nurse Joy nodded, "Tell Officer Jenny or me if you know anything."

"I will, I'll see you later."

"Don't get electrocuted."

_Why did you have to mention that last part? _Cilan thought as he walked out of the Pokémon Center, an eerie chill running down his spine.

**. . .**

"This is it?" Mark asked.

"Pika." the Pikachu nodded her head.

Mark's trained eye slowly pulled apart the scene. To the average observer, there was nothing here. Just a lot of trees, bare earth, with dead leaves everywhere. Looking closely, Mark could see the Dixierat burrows within the leaves. They look like leaf mounds, steadily building up from shedding trees each year. There were dozens of them, all built near trees and small hills. The Dixierats were so good at their handiwork, Mark and Doc would have passed by if the female Pikachu hadn't pointed them out.

"Is anyone home?" Mark called out through the seemingly empty forest.

No response.

"They're in their burrows?" Mark asked the female Pikachu.

"Pi." she nodded.

"Well they sure ain't responding, which means something's wrong."

Mark approached the closest burrow, he peered through what he thought was the entrance and checked for any signs of life. Nothing. He got down on his knees and pulled aside some of the leaves, then called inside, "Hello, anybody home?"

Something moved, Mark watched as a Dixierat crawled out of the darkness and stepped into the light. The Pikachu's eyes were gray and sunken with fatigue, the poor thing could barely stand on four legs as he struggled to look Mark in the eye. It tried to step closer, but collapsed under its own weight. Mark shook his head, it was just as he thought, "Damn it, Tesla." he thought out loud.

"I've never seen anything like this before," said Doc, "they sure weren't teaching this in medical school."

"EMP's are rare, Andy," said Mark, "If it has happened before, nobody surely talked about it."

Mark picked up the Dixierat and held it up, "You okay, buddy?"

The Dixierat shook its head, then rubbed its cheeks, "Chu." it muttered.

Mark felt its cheek with the back of his hand, the red electro gland was hot to the touch, "Look's like there's degrees of this, some electric-types handle an EMP better than others."

Doc looked off into the woods and sighed, "They all need help, and they're relying on me to give them that help."

"We'll help the worst cases, the rest can toughen it out. You want me to get the wheelbarrow?"

"We're going to need more than just a wheelbarrow, Mark, we're going to need a truck to haul ass."

Mark laid the Dixierat back down, the female Pikachu walked up to it and felt its head, then checked its pulse, "Pika." she uttered in sorrow.

_We're going to need more manpower, _Mark thought, _maybe some of the unaffected Dixierats could help._

"Hey, Andy?"

"Yeah, Mark?"

Mark stood up and looked at him in the eye, "Have these Dixierats help themselves, medical wise?"

"If they get sick, they come to me or to the town's Pokémon Center."

"How often?"

"Once or twice a month, but a few get sick almost every week."

"Do they ever put an effort to taking care of themselves?"

"Why you asked?"

Mark shrugged, "They lay around, almost all the time. I've seen that back at town, I'd seen that at the bunker, and I'm seeing it here right now. Is that habit a legacy from their lab rat days?"

"Could be, laziness is often a symptom to inbreeding..."

The forest went silent for a moment.

"Okay," said Mark, "I'm not sure if it's relevant or anything, but is their love/ hate relationship of mankind a notion passed down from Tesla, or his mate Polly?"

"Us saving them and they killing them," said Doc, referring to the tug and pull of the town and the poachers killing and protecting the Dixierats, "it sounds a lot like a curse."

"So how can we lift it, even if we get rid of the poachers the inbreeding alone will finish off the Dixierats . . . so the solution may be..."

Mark snapped his fingers, "I think I got an idea."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	16. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 15_

"So is this it?" Tesla asked.

"Yup," said Bruiser, "this is it."

It was the most uninspiring ditch Tesla had ever seen. Nothing suggested there had once been a thunderstone in the bank, but that doesn't mean there was one. Rayovac stepped back as the elder Pikachu peered in. Bruiser didn't wanna go near it, Tesla could tell he was becoming more and more uncomfortable the longer he stood on its edge.

"So you just dropped right in?" Tesla asked.

"Didn't see it coming," said Bruiser, "I'd just dropped right in."

"Like this?"

Tesla gave Bruiser a hard shove, he lost his footing and tumbled right down into the trench. Everyone watched as he rolled onto the bottom, Bruiser coughed and shook the dust off of him then got back up, "Damn, what was that for!?"

"Just to see how you fell in."

"That's just exactly how he fell in," Ray confirmed, "The next thing I know was a flash of light, and then he turned."

Bruiser murmured something under his breath, he looked at his fingerless hands for a moment. His face twisting into grief, "Uh-oh," said Ray, "here it comes."

The Raichu broke down in tears, he covered his eyes and cried as everyone watched with half amusement. Tesla patted Bruiser's back and said, "Let it out, just let it out."

Within 5 minutes, Bruiser was done. He sniffled and stared at the base of the trench. For some time, he sat there in silence as Tesla hugged him. Ray and the elder Pikachu looked on from above, waiting for a moment to intervene, "So that's what happened." said Tesla.

"Yeah," muttered Bruiser, "That's what happened, except it was Pika who comforted me all the way back home."

Bruiser looked up at the sky and screamed, "And now he's not here!"

"Bruiser," said Tesla, "Can you tell me one thing?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

Tesla gave it a moment before asking, "Do you know, how many Dixierats out there, lose each other everyday?"

Bruiser thought for a moment, "Dozens, perhaps. Why?"

Another moment of silence.

"Have you ever considered looking for him instead of grieving for him?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why?"

"Cause he could be dead."

"Even if he's dead, would you still bring him home?"

Bruiser nodded, "Yes, yes I would."

"If luck has it, he might turn up. Probably in another pack, or locked up in a cage. Even if you're brother is gone, you got cousins and an uncle out here to help you find him. Word gets around, so all we need to do is find out who knows what."

"What do you mean, Tesla?"

"I mean we figure out asking around who might knows where the poacher camp is, someone surely figured it out but never bother telling anybody. They don't wanna cross that line, and now that line is crossed, the poachers are losing their sh*t and we're wallowing around in our personal problems. If we stop the poachers, then we won't have to worry about mass murder ever again."

"How do we do that, Tesla?" Ray asked.

"Two things: One, we find the camp. Two, we figure out how to rally the Dixierats to kick ass. To kick ass, we need some heavy firepower," Tesla turned to Bruiser, "Bruiser, you are a Raichu now, not a Pikachu. You've got to use your newfound strength and save the loved ones you have left."

"What are you asking of me?" Bruiser asked.

"I'm asking you to give the poachers a black eye."

Bruiser shook his head, "So this is why you brought me here, to ask me to charge at my problem head on?"

"I'm asking you to climb out of your hole and face reality, you're doing no favors in sitting there while everyone's suffering worse than you."

Bruiser sighed and stood up, "You're the founder of the Dixierats, and you're the one who gave us life. You're right, I gotta get back up. I gotta take on the poachers. I gotta avenge my pack! I gotta find my brother!"

Then Bruiser added, "But I'm not the only reason we're in a trench, are we."

That was no question, "We're here to look for thunderstones." Tesla finally said.

**. . .**

The Joltik stopped running an hour ago, he was now crawling through the forest, his mind in a mixture of regret and fright. He wasn't sure which was worse, killing the Pikachu or running away from his master's discipline. He must be mad, really mad. He'd seen what he could do to the Dixierats and he doesn't wanna know what it happening to him, even though his master never laid a hand on him since his capture.

_What am I gonna do? _The Joltik asked himself.

He could always head back to camp, but the Joltik thought against it. He wanted to be alone for a while, away from humans, away from Pokémon.

The Attaching Pokémon crawled on a log and took a moment to rest, the silence of the forest weighed heavily on him. He didn't feel like he was being watched, the Joltik didn't sense anyone hiding out nearby. That was good. The Joltik breathed out and stared at a twig sticking out of the log. Somehow, the outdoors felt better than sleeping inside a stuffy trailer with little to no ventilation. Then again, he didn't have to. He could always sleep inside one of the cars, but his master said not to. There was that one time where the Joltik _almost _disobeyed his master's order when he saw a trunk door wide open. Inside were several blankets and a car battery, never before used. The Joltik resist the urge. No, he wouldn't disobey his master. _Never_. He would be angry at him, angry at poor Joltik. So he chose not to hop inside, and eventually someone shut the trunk door.

The Joltik stretched his legs, as he was loosening his joints he felt his belly growled. Oh, of course, he hadn't eaten breakfast today. The parasite moaned, how could he had forgotten? Even if he wasn't that hungry, the Joltik knew better, it would turn into unbearable hunger soon, and _that _would make him very uncomfortable. The Joltik hadn't have the slightest clue where to find food. So far there wasn't any berry bushes or acorns. Would the Dixierats know where food is?

_Assuming there's Dixierats still around, _the Joltik thought, _should there be one or two here and there and all around?_

He jumped off the log and head off again. The Joltik had no destination in mind, he just walked, hoping to bump into something worth his interest. When he stumbled into a small savanna, he noticed something up ahead. It looked like Pokémon, two of them to the looks. They faced away from him, looking down in the drainage trench, the Joltik approached closer, and jumped.

Standing at the edge of a drainage trench was a monstrosity, the orange and yellow patches of fur on its back told him nothing of the Pokémon's identity. Next to him was a Dixierat Pikachu, a fairly old one that was missing an arm and parts of its tail. The creature stood three times taller than the Dixierat. The Joltik heard stories of such a creature that wandered the park, this "trybred" of all three Mouse Pokémon. The Attaching Pokémon never thought he would see the beast himself, it was more weirder than he imagined.

The Joltik wasn't sure why it wasn't afraid. For some reason, by sheer unconscious impulse, the Attaching Pokémon crept up behind the Mutant Mouse Pokémon. The Joltik felt the intensity of its aura, it was loaded with electricity, more than any Raichu can physically store. Without a second thought, the Joltik leaped on the creature's back and held on tight.

A wave of pleasure flushed his brain as he tapped into the creature's energy.

**. . .**

Rayovac felt something was behind him, he looked over his shoulder and saw nothing but grass and trees, "Hmph, odd."

_"What's wrong, Ray?" _the elder Pikachu asked.

"I thought for a moment there was someone watching us."

Ray turned his attention back down the trench, though he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that he and his relatives were not alone. Yet he didn't see anything. Must be imaginary or something, if it was real the others would sniff it out. Yes, they would. There was nothing for Ray to worry about, nothing. It was all in his head, surely in his head.

"I'm not sure we could find thunderstones here," said Bruiser, "Somethings they appear, sometimes the don't."

"There had to be some of them around," said Tesla, "How else would a Pikachu evolve into a Raichu?"

"Good point, maybe we're not looking at the right place."

Tesla thought for a moment, "Maybe the Dixierats have some stashed away in their burrows, for their own purposes."

"Perhaps, several of my cousins keep a thunderstone or two to evolve their Pichus."

Tesla looked up at Ray and the elder Pikachu and asked, "Does anyone know where we could find a Dixierat community?"

"There's one not far from here," said Ray, "maybe there could be a thunderstone buried somewhere."

"Then let's go over there and see what they have."

Tesla and Bruiser climb out of the trench and rejoined the others, Ray lend out his good arm and held Bruiser up, "What would I do without you, Ray?" Bruiser asked.

"Feel just about alone in the world." Ray answered.

"Bastard."

That earned everyone a laugh, Bruiser led the way as the rest followed behind. As they head off, Ray still couldn't figure out the reason of the gnawing feeling, _It's all imaginary, Ray, _he told himself, _It's all in your head you big lug. All in your head._

**. . .**

Ash and Iris came up with nothing, they asked several people around town and every one of them them what they already knew, or claim to have no knowledge about the poachers. It was a disappointment, but it wasn't all for nothing. Several residents told them stories about the Dixierats, all of them similar, yet unique in their own right. A 75 year old woman told Ash how one Dixierat always came up to her porch once a week. A female Pikachu, she recalled, always begged her for food or "a pettin'." After several months of this, the Pikachu came back with two Pichus. Then 4, then 7. She laughed when she watch them fight over scraps, saying "they were that cute." Sadly, on one day, the Pichus came back without their mother. The looks on their faces says it all. The woman asked what happened to the mother, the oldest Pichu imitating pumping a shotgun and firing it.

Oscar Ridgedale, a man somewhere around his mid-forties, told Iris how he played with the Dixierats when they first arrived, "They were like little rascals," he said, "They would swarm you in large numbers for one big group hug." When he got older, Oscar thought what would happen if he gave one of the Dixierats beer. So when he stumbled into a stray Raichu one evening, he handed it a bottle of his favorite brand and had it drink it, "I pretty much got the Raichu drunk," he admitted, "he couldn't even stand up straight."

The other residents told Ash and Iris the same thing, the locals would either play with the Dixierats or feed them initially, but as time went on, the Dixierats became a nuisance and often took a broom to the face. The number of assaults on the Dixierats trickled to a point where the mayor declared all Mice Pokémon a protected species. Though not enforced, the attacks on the Dixierats in town stopped from there.

While Ash and Iris were walking down another street, they bumped into Cilan while turning a corner, "Hey Cilan," said Ash, "did you find anything?"

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

"The cops are suspecting Tesla of causing the EMP," said Cilan, "Nurse Joy claimed the police found two bodies that were literally fried into skeleton not far from town, right around where the thunderbolt occurred."

Ash gulped, "That's not a good sign."

Though he wasn't surprised, Ash hid his lack of shock. His Pikachu on the other hand gasped, "Pi!?" the Mouse Pokémon cried.

"I poked around my half of town," Cilan continued, "All the lights are out and everyone's cleaning out their refrigerators, yet I couldn't find a single Dixierat wondering around. Doc said they were incapacitated from the EMP, so they might still be at their burrows right now."

"I hope Mark's Pokémon are okay," said Iris, "the EMP looked like it hurt them a lot."

"Axew." murmured Axew.

"It only made them sick," said Cilan, "I'll ask Mark about taking his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center to getting them checked out when we get back."

"Speaking of his Pokémon," added Ash, "I couldn't find a store that sells Poké balls, I guess the town doesn't want anyone taking away the Dixierats."

"They surely don't, they're that protective of their secret. I'm surprised they hadn't kicked us out yet."

"We would've," said a voice, "if you hadn't brought your Pikachu along."

The group turned around and saw Officer Jenny approached, they froze, almost expecting to be arrested again, "I know it was Tesla who caused the EMP. I watched his two little Cheering Pokémon buddies run up to him, telling him something was up. Five minutes later, shock and awe," then she added, "You know, the purple lightning is a dead give away. I can tell the way the lightning draws current that it was Tesla's, I used to watch his Pokémon battles on TV when I was a kid. I just don't have any proof that he did it or not."

The group said nothing, they held their silence as Officer Jenny looked them over, "Okay," she said, "I see I struck a nerve. If it makes you guys happy or anything, I'm pulling my hair out wondering if this town would get attacked by the poachers. We have radios and equipment stashed away that they need. The problem is that they don't work, cause the EMP fried the circuits. Not only they won't get rewarded for raiding the town, they would ransack it out of sheer revenge. Such violence would go unnoticed by Unova's regional police, the secret would be exposed and we all kiss this town goodbye."

Ash felt a ping of guilt build up in his chest, if he and his friends hadn't showed up in the first place, none of this would've happened. Then again, Tesla and Mark might stir things up regardless, and he and his friends wouldn't have known about it. Ash looked away for a second, glancing at the dark windows of the decaying buildings. Tesla had forced the town to cross a line not meant to be crossed, and now people and Pokémon alike are at risk of getting hurt. Would confirming Officer Jenny's suspicions it was Tesla who wiped out power in the area do any good? No, that would be betraying Tesla, betraying a friend . . . Yet Tesla had killed, yet again. Was it justified? Or was it flat out murder? Ash resist the urge to fear the Pikachu, there was no need to.

"Look, Officer Jenny," said Ash, "We're trying to help whatever we can."

"Helping the locals clean out their fridges or kick out stray Dixierats wouldn't do much good if the poachers come knocking on our doors," Officer Jenny looked at him in the eye and added, "I have my moral codes, and you have yours. Just to make this clear, I have no sympathy for these rodents. They're just parasites living off of our food supply while seeking attention. If a group of poachers were to massacre a pack of them, then so be it.

"As much as I dislike them, I'm forbidden to harm them. I'm just about ready to take out my service pistol and start taking potshots at them when the mayor declared them protected in town. The Dixierats know this, and they _love _to push us. They think all this is a game, they don't know what responsibility is."

Ash felt Pikachu sank on his shoulder. The poor thing was hurt, even if the statement wasn't directed at him. Ash glanced at Iris and Cilan, they too, were speechless. Even Axew couldn't bring up a single word to defend the Dixierats.

Then Officer Jenny said, "Now if you want to help the Dixierats and the town at the same time, there is one thing you guys can do."

"What is it?" Cilan asked.

"There's a poacher who lives nearby, I suspect he knows something about where the main camp is. I managed to get a search warrant from the town judge months ago, but I hadn't used it yet. Due to the circumstances, I think its time to act on it."

"Who is the guy?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"His name is Nick Terrance," says Officer Jenny, "I think you've might have seen him two days earlier, at the Dixierat infestation."

Ash felt something click, he remembered seeing someone wearing hunter's clothes that day, "Was he wearing wilderness camouflage?"

Officer Jenny snapped her fingers, "Bingo, that's Nick alright, he always wears camouflage and look like he'd been in the mud. Are you guys up to tracking him down?"

Ash clenched his fist and raised it, "Sure, we won't let him get away."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped.

**. . .**

Mark wasn't sure how long he'd been wandering through the Dixierat communities, but he was sure he seen and smelled enough. Every time he stuck his head into a burrow, he was greeted with a face full of putrid odor. Some burrows smelled worse than others, like something died in them. Mark groaned, how could these Dixierats live for days and weeks without bathing? Or were they too lazy to step out of their holes to take a piss? Mark checked for stray Dixierat poo, then laid down at the base of a tree. Oh well, at least it was a beautiful day. Few rays of sunlight managed to reach the forest floor, Mark held his hand out to catch a stream, it felt pleasantly warm but not big enough to enjoy.

He scratched his Emolga's back as the female Pikachu curled up under his armpit, Mark gazed up at the trees, letting his mind wonder while taking a moment to rest. Somewhere nearby, Andy was poking around in the burrows, checking on the Dixierats living in them. Mark could hear him sweet-talk to several Dixierats, giving them his personal medical checkups with affection. Like his grandfather before him, his obsession was hard to satisfy. Mark noted the intensity and eagerness of Andy's voice, he sometimes gave out rapid-fire speech or did a slow, seemingly monologue tone, depending on the mood of the Dixierats, _Dixierats_, Mark thought, _who sprain a lobe to create that nickname?_

Mark shut his eyes and let his mind go blank, he listened to the hiss of the world's background noise, a mixture of occasional wind gusts and dancing trees. It was peaceful, he had to appreciate the peacefulness of Dixie National Park. Far from human civilization, or most of civilization thereof, the forest seemed to welcome any Pokémon with open arms. Yet the only Pokémon here were foreign Mouse Pokémon, who were descendants of lab rats used mainly for experiments. Could any Pokémon, by all means, live without seeing a human being or stumble into something made by humans for one day? In the regions, probably not. Maybe during ancient times, that was a possibility, since there weren't much humans back then. Now they rule most of the world, took up former Pokémon territory that were centuries old. Pretty much half the human race has different views about Pokémon, which explains why these Dixierats are being hunted to near extinction.

_Assuming they're going extinct, _Mark thought, _I'm surrounded by a lot of them right now._

He felt a tap on his chest, Mark cracked an eye and saw the female Pikachu looking at him, "Pikachu," she cooed with a smile, "Pikachu."

"Yes, Pikachu?" Mark asked.

His Pikachu leaped up on his chest and started licking him on the nose, Mark laughed and pulled her away, "You're so adorable, you know that?"

"Piiikaa." she giggled.

Mark pulled her close to his chest and cradled her head, "I just wonder what my dad would think of me if I bring you home, I bet he's gonna flip. Maybe you can ogle him with cuteness."

He stroke her head with his hand, she giggled again and buried her face into his chest. Emolga stirred and held her head up, she saw what was going on and tried to climb up on the Dixierat, "Em." the shiny sprite blurted as she hugged the Pikachu's back.

Pikachu flop on the ground and the two Pokémon rolled around for a moment, playing like little kids. Mark took out his cell phone as they kept each other occupied, he hadn't called home in a while, his Dad was probably getting worried. He held down the power button. Nothing. Odd, he had charged it yesterday...

_Oh, _Mark remembered, _the EMP._

Mark vented out a swear word and tucked the phone back into his pocket, he'll buy a new phone when he gets back to Faraday.

"What are you doing laying around?" Doc asked as he approached.

Mark laughed, "I'm just taking a moment to rest, it's hard work to kick back and relax."

Doc chuckled, "Sound's like my grandfather's words, just don't say them Tesla or you'll get shocked."

"Why would he wanna shock me?"

"I don't know, I found it hilarious that among all the people he hates, he doesn't shock them. He only shock's my Grandpa, for all I know."

Mark got up and brushed the leaves off his pants, "How's the Dixierats, Doc?"

"They're feeling like sh*t, no way to put it. But they'll be alright in one or two days."

"One or two days," Mark asked, "Do we have one or two days or the poachers, or the incoming storm, says otherwise?"

Doc shrugged, "Your pick."

Mark thought for a moment, he scratched the hairs on his chin for a few seconds and thought, "Okay," Mark thought, "For the past 24 hours, the concern was the poachers, right?"

"Right." said Doc.

"So what about the thunderstorm heading straight for Dixie, what role will it play?"

"The Dixierats would love to dance for lightning. Sick or not, electricity draws out any electric-type Pokémon like you would never believe."

"You know," Mark says, "We never paid much attention to the severe thunderstorm, if it's going to be the big one then we outta nail everything down that could blow away."

"I have metal shutters in the back shed," said Doc, "we'll get them installed over the windows when we get back."

"Pikachu."

Mark looked off into the distance and saw a small group of Pikachus, several of them had Pichus on their backs. Their marble eyes gazed at Mark, like he was a heavily worshiped celebrity. He could tell from the looks in their eyes that they were still fatigued by the EMP, but had recovered enough to climb out of their burrows for fresh air. Mark glanced down at his Pikachu, she held still, her face stricken with dumbstruck. He wasn't sure if the female Pikachu was happy to see her relatives, or was shocked they're still around or something.

One of the Pikachus broke into a sprint, running straight for Mark's Pikachu. It was another female, and she was pouring big globes of tears, "PIKACHU!" she sobbed, "PIKA PIKA PIKACHU!"

Mark watched his Pikachu whimper as she invited the other Dixierat with open arms, both Dixierats sobbed for a few seconds then broke into a quick conversation. Mark's Pikachu introduced him to the relative and made a brief run up of what happened so far. Mark wasn't sure what she was saying, but he had clues of what she was saying. The Pikachu yammered, hugging herself and broke down into a love pose. Sounding all happy. Her relative raised an eyebrow, gave Mark a brief look, then chuckled. Whatever the relative said next, made the Pikachu puzzled. The relative started asking her questions, the Dixierat shook her head no in the first one, then nodded yes for the second. The rest of the questions were answered verbally, the continuous yammering made Mark's brain sore, he wished Tesla was here to translate the Pokémon speech.

It ended with the relative hugging his leg, crying into his blue jeans, "Pika," she said, "Pikachu, Pi Pi Pikachu!"

"I think word's got around about you saving that Pikachu, Mark," Andy theorized, "I think she's thanking you for saving her."

"You can count on me and my Pokémon to get sh*t done," Mark told his Pikachu's relative, "assuming it ain't Pasta Night, Emolga loves cheesy pasta."

Emolga giggled and blushed, "Eeeem!"

"Um, Mark." said Doc.

"Yeah, Andy?" Mark asked.

"Brace yourself."

Mark turned and saw the small pack of Dixierats charging at him with full speed, they cheered and giggled with glee. The Pichus jumped off their mothers' backs and joined the grownups in the brief run. Before Mark could yelp, they leaped up and plowed their faces into him. He lost his balance and fell back, he hit his head on something hard. A sharp ping of pain gripped the back of his skull, then his mind became cloudy. All he heard was the laughter and cheering of the Pikachu and Pichus jumping on top of him.

_Ah cra-_

It wasn't stars that clouded his vision when he blacked out, it was the furry tails and plush bodies of a dozen Dixierats.

**. . .**

"That's him?" Ash asked.

"That's him." Officer Jenny nodded.

Ash, Cilan, and Iris hid behind some bushes, staying low to the ground as possible. Nick Terrance walked briskly down the road, his hands were thrust deep into his pockets as he constantly look behind his back. Nick looked nervous, he was under the assumption that he was being followed. Which was true, however, Ash had no intentions of getting closer. He held Pikachu to his chest, almost fearful about his safety he wanted to be sure Pikachu was with him at all times. He didn't want anything bad happening to him.

Nick approached his house. A modest two-story home, small enough for one person. The paint was peeling off at the sides, exposing the weathered wood underneath. Despite the paint, it looked well maintained. The windows looked brand new and the pathway to the front door looked recently poured. Compared to the other houses in town, this house looked a little revitalized.

"I had my suspicions when Nick first moved in," said Officer Jenny, "He didn't say anything to anyone at first but opened up over time. I don't know if he had any Pokémon, if he does, then we haven't seen them yet."

"Could he be a poacher?" Cilan asked.

"He's been acting quite weirdly since the blackout, and he'd been buying more ice bags than the other locals. I could imagine what he's keeping cold inside that house of his, makes my skin crawl every time I think back at it."

Nick pulled out his keys, his hands shook so much he lost his grip and they came tumbling onto the porch. He wiped his forehead, pick them up, and unlocked the door. Nick took one last glance out into the street to make sure nobody was watching, then disappeared inside his house.

When the door was latched shut, Officer Jenny stood up, "Well, I had enough investigating for one day. I need to head back to the town hall and check up with Mayor Sordino, you kids just stay out of trouble for now."

"Of course, Officer Jenny." said Ash.

Pikachu didn't made his expected coo, he held his silence.

The group walked back out onto the road and Officer Jenny broke away, once she was out of earshot Ash turned to Iris and Cilan, "Now what?" Ash asked.

"We gotta talk to Tesla," said Cilan, "he obviously knows more about this."

"I don't think it's a good idea to push him too hard." Iris warned.

"Axew ew." said Axew.

"Ash?" Cilan asked.

"Yes, Cilan?"

"What did Mark told you in the kitchen, exactly?"

Ash shook his head, "I'll let him tell you guys that, right now he wants it keep it between us."

"Is it that bad?"

"I'm afraid so."

Ash and his friends head back towards Doc's bunker, or house, without saying another word.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	17. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 16_

Mark heard the faint echos of a child crying. He couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, but he could tell it was near. It slowly increased in volume till it became crystal clear, he opened his eyes and saw who was crying, "Pikachu?" he called out.

"PIKACHU!" Mark's Pikachu sobbed, she wrapped her arms around his head and hugged his face. Mark blinked, trying to get his bearings. He found himself back at the bunker, laying on the middle couch. A deep throb hammered against Mark's head like a beating drum, Mark ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "Oh, what a day."

The female Pikachu started licking his cheek, moaning in despair. Mark wrapped an arm around his Mouse Pokémon and pulled her close, "Are you alright?"

The Dixierat nodded, "Pika."

She licked him 5 more times before Mark pulled her away, "That ain't necessary, Pikachu, but much obliged. Say, where's Emolga?"

"Em!?" a Sky Squirrel Pokémon's voice cried out.

Mark's Emolga jumped up on his lap and gave him a big hug, "EMO!" she cried.

"There there, girl," said Mark, "I'm alright, my brain ain't leaking."

"You're okay, Mark?" Doc asked as he came into the room.

Mark turned to Doc, "I'll live, how long was I out?"

"About 2 hours, you hit your head on a rock when the Dixierats jumped you. You should had seen the look on their faces, they were so emotional. Your Emolga and Pikachu wouldn't let go of you as I carried your sorry ass back here."

"Was there any blood?"

"No, just a bruise. Your skull is amazingly hard, I don't think it even cracked."

"Okay, I guess I'm fine then."

Mark sat back on the couch and stared at the blank TV screen, his Pikachu pulled herself out of his grip and climbed up on his shoulder, where she resumed licking his face, "Pikachu," he said, "Please stop licking me."

"Pika?" she asked.

Mark pulled her off his shoulder and cradled her in his arms, "You're one of the most sweetest Pokémon I've ever met, you know that?"

The Dixierat showed a warm smile as a tear escaped her eye, "Sahhh." she cooed.

"Emolgaaa." Emolga awed.

Mark sat her beside him and looked over his shoulder. Doc was in the kitchen, rummaging around in something while humming a familiar tune, "Have we've been hard on Tesla, Doc?" Mark asked.

"Why did you say that?" he called out.

"He was pretty pissed when we teased him of his hydrophobia."

Andy walked back into the room and handed Mark a cola, "Me, my father, and his father teased him all the time. I think everybody teases him a little on occasion."

"That Pikachu's been through so much sh*t, I don't think he could tolerate even a minor teasing. He seems so stressed out all the time, I'm surprised he wasn't diagnosed with hypertension yet."

Doc raised an eyebrow, "Why do you care so much?"

"He's our responsibility."

"He's nobody's responsibility."

"Yet we act like it's our responsibility," Mark thought for a moment, "Is there a way we could calm his nerves without pissing him off even more?"

"He likes massages." Doc suggested.

"I know that, but I don't think he wants me to do the massaging."

"I bet he doesn't want you checking his prostate either."

Mark and Doc burst out laughing. Emolga and Pikachu laughed also laughed, somehow understanding the joke. When the laughter die down, Mark asked, "But seriously, who will he won't mind touching him?"

"Either me or that Kanto kid," said Doc, "Tesla seem to like Ash a lot."

That was true, Tesla does like Ash. He trusted the kid with his life, maybe he could relieve Tesla's tense muscles. Mark wondered why he ever come up with that idea. It sounded gay, but probably not so. Tesla may behave like a human being and even act like one, but he was still a Pokémon. If Mark somehow tap into Tesla's Pokémon side, he might ease his nerves, maybe even improve his relationship with the old Pikachu. Mark liked Tesla as much as he hated him, so far they had a mutual relationship and they occasionally teased. But exploiting his inability to swim was crossing the line. Tesla was hurt, emotionally hurt, he acted angry but maybe he wasn't angry at all. Maybe he was crying inside, if that was the case then Mark had to come up with something to make it up to him. Tesla technically helped saved his great-granddaughter, maybe she should show him gratitude for that.

"I got an idea," said Mark, "how long will Tesla be out, Doc?"

"Longer than Ash and his friends." said Doc.

Mark thought for a moment, "Out there the Dixierats wanted to see Tesla, to hug and kiss him. But he can't go talking to them with that kind of heat, somehow we gotta tap into his good side and make sure he stays in a good mood . . . somehow."

**. . .**

"There's nothing here," said Tesla as he and his descendants approach the Dixierat community, "I mean, there's no Mice Pokémon anywhere."

"They're in hiding," said Ray, "But they're there, I'm a hundred percent sure they're there."

The supposing Dixierat community was barren, devoid of Pokémon life, but that was just an illusion. An ancient memory somewhere in Tesla's brain unearthed itself. The Dixierat community reminded him of home, it looked like home. It _smelled _like home. Deep down, Tesla felt young again, yet another part of him had slightly reopened an old wound. Feeling sore, Tesla turned looked over his shoulder. The elder Pikachu wasn't limping as much as before, it looked like he done him some good. The old seventy-something Pikachu walked on his three limbs while pressing his stump against his chest. He started lagging behind half an hour ago, yet the fella didn't say anything. The group had to slow down on several occasions so he would catch up, the elder Mouse Pokémon wheezed one time and took a moment to rest. The group waited for 10 minutes till he breathed enough oxygen to keep going.

_My boy, _Tesla thought, _he's so old._

_ "You doing okay there, son?" _Tesla asked in Pokémon speech.

_"I'm fine," _said the elder Pikachu, _"It was a long walk."_

The elder Pikachu stopped and pressed his head on the ground, he panted deep breaths, sometimes coughing in between. Tesla walked up to him and held his only hand, "Here," Tesla spoke in human speech, "You're in no condition to travel any further."

_"It's been a while since I had traveled," _said the elder Pikachu, _"I hadn't went anywhere where I wasn't shipped in a cage."_

Tesla hoisted his son onto his back, "Relax, boy," he said, "I gotcha."

_"I'm not a Pichu anymore." _

"I wish I was there when you were," then Tesla added, "how often did you see your Mama during your lab rat days?"

_"Occasionally," _said the elder Pikachu, _"Usually on the weekends. I would meet her when she's exhausted from 'a hard day's work', she would cradle me and lick my cheeks even after I became a Pikachu myself. The one thing she ever talked about was you, Dad, you're the only thing she ever knows."_

Tesla sighed, "They took you away from her, did they?"

_"They did, the last time I saw her was in the Nimbasa City Pokémon Lab . . . in a cage..."_

"We've all been imprisoned in a cage during our childhood," explained Bruiser, "How was your first time when you were captured?"

Tesla shot a look at Bruiser, "It wasn't like my siblings were caged next to me, Bruiser."

Bruiser held up his stubby hands, "Whoa, whoa, I didn't mean-"

"Easy there, Bruiser, I'm not at you. Besides, we've all been scarred deep, it's not like our situations were any different."

_"True." _said the elder Pikachu.

"I'm not sure about you guys," said Ray, "But my own thoughts torment me, putting crap in my reality. I can't go one day without-"

His head snapped up as if he locked on to something, Ray shook his head vigorously and gripped his ears, "Argh, I hate it when there's random fireworks!"

The forest went momentarily silent, after listening to the wind shuffling through the trees for about a minute, Tesla asked, "Are you done?"

Ray let go of his ears and smiled, "I'm done."

Bruiser jumped ahead of the group, "There should be a burrow over here," he said, "Not sure if anyone's in it though."

The group tailed Bruiser towards a mound of leaves, Tesla carried his son over to it with all his strength. He wasn't as heavy as he thought, the elder Pikachu was quite light, _He doesn't have much strength. _Tesla thought.

The mound looked a little large for it to be natural. A small hole was dug underneath the leaves, big enough for a Raichu to squeeze through, "Hello," Bruiser called out, "Anyone home?"

He stuck his head into the hole, "Hellooo?"

"Anything, Bruiser?" Tesla asked.

Bruiser sat up and turned to Tesla, "Empty, this burrow doesn't have the smell so it had been abandoned."

"So you're telling me that you can tell it's abandoned just by smelling it?"

"Pretty much."

Tesla sat down his son and crawled passed Bruiser He squeezed through the hole and made his way into the burrow. He found himself in a small tunnel coming down on an angle into steep darkness. Tesla felt around, what little light that managed to penetrate the burrow was enough for him to see what was inside. It was spacious, large for a Pikachu. Indeed it looked like a Raichu had lived here once, no telling what happened to it now. Tesla felt the floor, it was patted dirt, well smashed in from repeated use. The old Pikachu tapped his knuckles into it, the matted dirt felt similar to concrete.

When asked if he ever gets flashbacks of his past, Tesla would say occasionally. But that was half-true, he gets them all the time. An object, the behavior of a person, or a simple taste of food would bring back a memory from his childhood or his Westinghouse days. The matted floor for instance brought up a memory of his childhood in Viridian Forest. He remembered it clearly. His parents were tucking him and his siblings to bed one night in their little burrow. It was a cool night, under a full-moon to be exact. Tesla snuggled in the warmth of his brothers and sisters, sleeping off a hard day of foraging and exploring. His mother sang him a tune, Tesla remembered the notes so well he could almost sing it himself. It was warm in that burrow, really warm. You can have the best insulation for a burrow, but to get the best warmth you need more bodies. Big or small, it doesn't matter, cause everyone would be packed in.

"Tesla," Bruiser called out from above, "You found anything?"

The flashback exploded and fizzled back into memory, "Nothing obvious, it's quite cozy down here though."

Tesla stretched his arms and legs, then crawled out of the burrow, "It's empty, nothing buried in it either."

"Check the next one?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, let's do that."

The next burrow was just a stone's throw away, just as the Mice Pokémon approached it a Dixierat stuck its head out. It was another Raichu, her scent wafer over Tesla's nose. It was familiar, "Hey," he said, "were you that Dixierat Mark wheelbarrowed to Doc's?"

_"Yes." _she said.

A loud fart confirmed that it was indeed her, thankfully her burrow contained most of the stink. Tesla took a deep breath and asked, "You came into contact with a thunderstone that evolved you, right?"

_"It's the only way for a Pikachu to evolve," _said the female Raichu, _"why?"_

"You happened to still have it?"

The Dixierat stared at him for a moment, then ducked back into her burrow. Within seconds, she came back out and held the thunderstone in question. It was a purple gagged stone with a lightning decal chistled into the face, _"I don't need it anymore," _she said, _"I don't know why I still have it, it looks pretty."_

Just before Tesla picked it up, Ray grabbed his arm, "You sure you want to touch it, Tesla?" he asked.

"I'm not gonna evolve," said Tesla, "I'd touched a thunderstone before, for some reason I didn't evolve or mutate. I'm not gonna change in a ball of light guys."

Ray let go of Tesla's hand and he picked up the thunderstone, he held it up to eye level and examined it. The yellow gem glistened in the sunlight, seemingly radiating energy, "I think it comes in purple or yellow or something," said Tesla, "This is indeed a thunderstone."

Bruiser's jaw dropped, "I wish I had your will, Grandpa."

Tesla gave him a look, "You don't want to have such will."

_"__Is that all?" _the female Raichu asked.

"Is there a gathering of Dixierats nearby?" Tesla asked.

_"Just near the dried creek bed, down to the Southwest. You'll find a gathering there."_

"Thank you, that would be all."

The female Raichu let out ripping trombone, her face went slack as the fart sputtered for 5 seconds. When it was all out, she panted, _"Whoa, that's a big one."_

She collapsed and disappeared into her bunker, Tesla shook his head and turned to the elder Pikachu, "Do they all have bad gas?"

_"They live off of trash, Dad," _he said, _"Is that even a question?"_

Tesla shrugged, _"I guess not."_

**. . .**

The Joltik couldn't help but love the electricity this beast was radiating. It had more juice than his first host! The Attaching Pokémon kept as still as possible, trying his best not to stir the hairs on its back. There was no telling what the creature would do if he discovered him stealing his electricity. As far as the Joltik could tell, this Mutant Mouse Pokémon was more clueless than a bag of hammers. How long could he stay on its back? It had already been almost an hour now and he had yet to tap directly into the electro glands. The Joltik took a deep breath and sighed, careful not to breathe on his host. He would give it another few minutes, probably wait and see where the creature would live so he would keep coming back for more. But of course, there were other regular Dixierats in the area, it might not be convenient to stick with a single host.

_I'll figure it out_, the Joltik thought, _I have enough time._

Apparently, he does not.

**. . .**

It doesn't take a genius to figure out he was in deep trouble. Nick Terrance scrambled through his house, the boards creeking under his frantic footsteps. He couldn't believe he was brought into this poaching business, only to be tagged by the police and have contraband in his possession that was beginning to rot. Nick had anticipated the lack of power, as it had happened a few times. However he hadn't stocked up on gasoline for his generator, what little he had would only last a day. There were a few propane canisters in the basement for natural gas lamps, but that was all they were good for. Nick was running out of options, which explains the wet patio in his yard.

He had his freezer chest hooked up to a drain that would dump excess water outside. A great start, and it wasn't too suspicious since his neighbors had the same idea. Keeping the freezer cold without power was one thing, keeping the contents a secret was another. Nick jogged over the freezer and pried it open, dreading what he would find. Sure enough, the contraband was still there, buried in ice that looked like overturned dirt in the south pole.

_It's fine for now, _Nick thought, _But I'll need to get another ice bag soon, maybe tomorrow._

Nick had been in the Dixie for 15 years, Ralph Henderson gave him the job for gathering up the Dixierats and help shipping them. Seeing all those yellow and orange fur balls was quite a shock, he'd seen pictures and video footage of Mice Pokémon but never in person. They put up a struggle with some poachers who were trying to stash them in the cages. But not him, strangely they gave him no trouble when it was his turn to stash them in the cages. Even more oddly that they let him wrap the noose around their necks. Nick wasn't sure what they saw in him that the other poachers doesn't have, but the Dixierats behavior was the least of his concerns.

Somehow he ended up with skinned furs, several Pikachu furs to be exact. He stashed them in a box under his bed, Nick didn't get more sleep knowing he had illegal furs tucked beneath him each night. What does give him more worry was the cadavers he was bringing in. 4 dead Pichus and 5 dead Pikachus, stashed in that freezer constantly melting ice into his yard.

_I gotta get a lock for this freezer, _he thought, _Or do something, I can't have this sh*t forever._

Starting a small fire in the backyard was common, yet there were no privacy fences to keep people from seeing him burning his dirty secret. Any fire out here would draw attention, it happens all the time in a town with a derelict fire department. Any signs of smoke would raise some kind of alarm, and no doubt Officer Jenny would come over and see what he was cooking up.

Yet with all the bond fires going on in the streets, this should be fine. But he best get it done now, while the whole town was burning fires. Nick stepped out into the back and set up his metal fire stand, then loaded it with some wood and kindling. A little spray with the butane fluid and a flick of the match started it up.

_I'll let it burn for a while, _Nick thought, _When it gets big enough, I'll burn up one of the cadavers. The smallest ones first, since it's still daytime._

Hopefully there won't be a smell of cooking meat, though the whole town was cooking up whatever meat they have before they go bad. It doesn't hurt to be careful, best not let anyone know what he was burning up, and hopefully no peeping toms were watching from the bushes.

**. . .**

Ash and his friends approached the bunker and let themselves in, they found Mark sitting on the couch with his Emolga and Pikachu. They both snuggled up beside him as he stared at the TV screen, the screen still blue with the ominous "NO SIGNAL!" flickering in the middle of the screen.

"Hey, Mark," said Ash, "We couldn't find any Poké balls around here."

Mark looked over his shoulder, "Figures, this town clearly isn't promoting tourism."

Ash, Cilan, and Iris sat down on the other couch, "Had another encounter with Officer Jenny today," said Cilan, "Like before, she isn't happy."

"Interesting I hadn't bumped into her yet," said Mark, "I though I might raise a few eyebrows when I came walking out of the forest instead of the train station. I guess everybody's more focused on you guys instead."

Mark grabbed the remote and shut off the TV, "By the way, we're completely cut off from the outside world. The only thing that does work is radio, assuming they weren't fried by the EMP."

The room went silent, after listening to the hum of the air conditioner for almost a minute Ash asked, "So how were the Dixierats, Mark, did you find out any clues of where the poacher's camp was?"

"Not really, me and Andy learned that the Dixierats will live. They're recovering from the EMP quite nicely, since a small group of them jumped me. Made several friends in the process."

Doc walked back into the room, he held a portable radio in his hands. He sat it on the coffee table and nodded, "Well I managed to find fresh batteries for the radio, I think it would help us."

Mark sat up and glanced at it, "Speaking of the radio, does it have weather channel capability?"

"It does, we can tune into 7 different weather channels. But I don't think it would work inside the bunker, too much interference."

Mark picked it up and turned it on, only static came out, "Well, at least we know the EMP shield's still working."

Doc chuckled, "This bunker's design to withstand a nuclear blast, nothing can get inside here."

Ash sat back and scratched his Pikachu's ears, "There might be a poacher living in Dixie. Nick Terrance, do you know him, Doc?"

"Yeah, I do. He's a shady character, he showed the tell-tale signs of being a poacher but I never thought much of him."

"Officer Jenny's on to him."

"Pika." Pikachu added.

"Not surprised, he might play a role in the poachers' organization for all I know."

"I think I saw him in town during that restaurant infestation," said Ash, "he was dressed just like a hunter."

"How was he acting?"

"Nervous, constantly looking behind his back."

Doc thought for a moment, "I think he might be our ticket to locate the poacher's camp. Might be a long shot, since Nick has built up a lot of suspicion over the years, like what he keeps bringing into his house in large paper bags."

Mark turned the radio off and sat it back down on the table, "So right now we wait till Tesla comes back and fill him in on what we found out, then we learn on what he was up to."

"Knowing Tesla," said Doc, "He'll be back before sundown, he sometime he won't come back home for a few days or a month. Me and my grandfather never really figured out what he does on his little trips, but he all know why: To get away from the drama once in a while."

"Will Tesla be back?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"Sometime before sundown," said Doc, "If not, then that means he's either gotten into something or in deep-"

"Trouble," finished Mark, "He could be in deep trouble."

Mark gave Doc a wink, he nodded, _Had to be another swear word. _Ash thought as he rolled his eyes.

**. . .**

Tesla felt his system resist the energies of the thunderstone. It felt like a million pinpricks was stabbing against his palm every second. The old Pikachu wasn't sure why it hadn't evolved him outright upon first contact. Maybe because of his overbearing powers, or his will. Nothing to lose, he had told himself, wished himself dead a long time ago.

The old Pikachu held it up and gazed at it, the piss-colored rock twinkled under the sunlight. Tesla squeezed the thunderstone in his hand, tiny sparks of electricity shot up his nerves, increasing the prickling sensation.

"You okay there, Tesla?" Ray asked.

"I'm fine," he said, "the stone's just numbing my hand is all."

"You want me to hold it for a while?"

"Sure."

Tesla handed the thunderstone to Ray. Most of the prickling sensation went away once he let go, the old Pikachu flexed his hand then clenched it. His hand felt like he had slept on it overnight.

"You seem calm today, Ray." said Bruiser.

"For some reason I don't feel like exaggerating anything today," said Ray, "It has never happened before."

"Calm as a whistle," Tesla thought aloud, "And just one starburst so far, things are looking up."

Ray smiled, "Yeah, they are looking up!"

Then Ray looked up at the sky for a brief moment, "But there's nothing to look at though."

_Oh, Ray, _Tesla thought, _You__'re __one big loaf._

Tesla turned back to his son, he was limping and panting again. Without saying a word, he grabbed the elder Pikachu's arm and hoisted him onto his back. Tesla felt the old Dixierat bury his face into his back, he was out of breath, _I can't believe we brought him along, _Tesla thought, _he's more frail than I thought._

Of course, his son wasn't the one who'd been treated for age-related damage.

"I hear 'em," said Ray, "I hear some Dixierats up ahead."

Tesla perked his ears, faint stray voices of a dozen Dixierats yammering at once. A part of him felt anger from the noises, they all sounded more annoying than Mark's Emolga.

"Here," said Bruiser, "Let me scout ahead, Tesla, I don't think its a good idea for you to let them know you're nearby."

"They don't need to," said Tesla, "and I planned to be gone once things get going."

Bruiser rushed ahead and disappeared behind some bushes while the rest of the group waited, he came back within minutes, "I found a spot we can camp on," he told them, "It's down wind, so they won't pick up our scent."

"Is that important?" Tesla asked.

"Several Dixierats figured out what you smell like Tesla, and no, it ain't old person smell."

The old Pikachu groaned, "Their hearing's that sharp, you know."

"Then I guess we gotta be quiet."

Tesla rolled his eyes, "Of course," he said sarcastically, "We gotta be quiet, quiet as can be."

Once again, Bruiser led his relatives through the bushes. They came across a large hill, an old oak tree grew out of it's face. Bushes and weeds lined the hill, providing perfect cover. Bruiser approached what looked like the tree's exposed roots. He grabbed onto the exposed roots and started climbing. Tesla heaved the elder Pikachu's weight up the natural ladder as he climbed after Bruiser. It was hard work, he was used to carrying his own weight while climbing but he hadn't carried someone over his back before. Ray was right behind him as he and the elder Pikachu got halfway up. Tesla jumped when he felt Ray shoved him up, it was unexpected and downright rude, "Do you have to touch my butt?" the old Pikachu asked, trying his hardest to control his temper.

"Do you always wash it?" Ray asked.

A branch from a nearby shrub got into Tesla's face, he groaned and pushed it away, "Damn you, Ray. Just damn you."

"Answer the _questiooon!_" Ray demanded in a mock authoritative voice.

"Yeah, I always wash it. But do you have to touch it?"

"Well your son is smearing his genitals all over your back, so why not?"

The elder Pikachu snickered, then Bruiser laughed. Tesla felt his cheeks heat up, before he could bark out the F-bomb Ray gave him another shove in the rear. The old Pikachu launched up into the air and flopped at the top of the hill, his body acted as a cushion taking up most of the blow. Tesla let out a loud swore as the elder Pikachu got off his back, _"You okay, Dad?" _he asked worriedly.

Tesla grabbed his ears and grumbled, "Am I ever okay?"

Ray climbed up the hill and pulled Tesla up, "Your so fat for a Pikachu," he said as he hugged him with his good arm, "and squishy too."

"True Mouse Pokémon there." commented Bruiser.

"Ray," said Tesla calmly, "Would you please put me down, you can always hug me later."

Ray sat him down, "There we go."

"You still got the thunderstone?"

Ray held it up, "Right here."

"Okay, Rayovac, here's the plan. We go to the edge of their little hangout spot and throw the thunderstone in an open area that's visible for them to see. We don't wanna through it directly on top of them, or else we would get another Bruiser personality."

"So we're just gonna watch a Dixierat pick it up and evolve?" Bruiser asked.

"Yup, simple as that."

"Very simple."

The three generations of Mouse Pokémon crept across the hill and approach some bushes, when they pulled them aside they saw the group of Dixierats in question, "3 Raichus, 12 Pikachus, and 30 Pichus," said Ray, "3 out of 4 of them are females, all looking broody."

"Thank you for that last bit of information, Ray." Tesla said sarcastically.

"How good's your arm?" Bruiser asked.

"Good enough," said Ray, "Wish I had a 2nd hand."

"Can you throw the rock?"

"Yeah I can throw the rock!"

"Keep your voice down," insisted Tesla, "We don't wanna attract attention."

The group washed the Mice Pokémon tend to their daily business. They were gathered in circles, their mouths flapping all at once. The conversations between the Pikachus were vivid and explicit, very adult, yet childish in their own right. The Pichus simply played around with a few of the less chatty Pikachus or slept in the corner. The three Raichus themselves watched over them, two of them engaged in small talk while the third just looked on, keeping his droopy eyes dead set on the pack, "Do they always talk this much?" Tesla asked Bruiser.

"Usually when full of energy," said Bruiser, "I don't think that EMP affected them much."

"Assuming they were close enough," said Ray, "or they were just outright lucky."

"Ray," said Tesla, "Just shut up and throw the thunderstone."

"Yes, sir."

Ray pulled his arm back and launched the thunderstorm with sheer thrust. The stone arched over the small clearing and landed in an open spot, well away from the Dixierats. For a few seconds, it went unnoticed. Then a Pikachu stopped talking and turned around, she saw the thunderstone. The look in her eyes were unmistakable, she looked like she found a goldmine of junkfood.

"Look's like we got one," said Ray, "Ooh, she's a beauty too!"

"I'll be the judge of that." laughed Bruiser.

Tesla turned to Bruiser, "You seem to be having a good time when nothing special happened yet."

"Well, I hadn't done anything in quite a while."

The Dixierat's cousins asked if anything was alright. She didn't say anything, her attention was fixed at the thunderstone. The other pack members slowly took noticed, the annoying drone of chatter slowly dwindled to near silence. The Pichus stopped their games and watched. Their parents rushes up and collected them, they were frantic, paranoid even. The Pikachus pulled them far from the thunderstone as possible. Some of them shield their eyes, not wanting their little Pichus to witness the inevitable evolution, "What are they doing with the Pichus?" Tesla asked.

"They don't want their kids growing up so fast," said Ray, "In reality, it doesn't really matter. A lot of these Pikachus still act like kids anyway, it's not like they mentally change or anything."

The female Dixierat stared at the thunderstone for a few seconds, then sprinted for it. She leaped up into the air and body-slammed the rock as if trying to catch it. She burst into a bright ball of sky blue light upon contact, Tesla winced as he held an arm over his eyes. He could barely make out the Pikachu's silhouette in the plasma of light. Everyone watched as the silhouette began to pulse, throbbing like a slow heartbeat. Each throb making a slight change to each of her features. Tesla watched as the Dixierat's fingers absorbed into her hands as her arms shrunk into small stubs. Her lightning bolt tail thinned into rope thickness, then morphed a blunted light bolt on the tip. Her ears thinned, curling back into themselves for more focus. The Dixierat stood up on her hind legs, getting into a pose as the light faded.

Low and behold, a new Raichu walked among the Mice Pokémon.

And quite an attractive one.

Ray whistled, "I'll take her out in a date if I want to."

"Do you want to?" Bruiser asked.

"No."

The new Raichu dropped the thunderstone and looked at her hands, she looked at her hips and checked out her new tail. It waved and slithered in the air like a snake. She cracked a smile and laughed, then turned to her friends, _"Look at me, everybody! I'm a Raichu!"_

One of the Pikachus, a male, sprinted for her and dive-bombed her. She flopped on her back as the Pikachu hugged her torso, then dug his nose into her chest.

Tesla's eyes went big, he knew where this was going.

"Let's head back to Doc's place, guys," said Tesla, "Let the Dixierats tend their fantasies."

"I wanna watch!" Bruiser demanded.

"Bruiser," Tesla insisted, "You can't use your hand to masturbate! And believe me, it ain't like the real thing. Besides, you couldn't reach it anywa-"

Tesla stopped himself when he saw the look in Bruiser's eyes, they were glazed and watery, _Aw crap, _Tesla thought, "Oh, Bruiser. Look I'm-"

Bruiser took off down the hill, pouring tears and sobbing profusely. Tesla just stood there and watch him vanish from sight, feeling like an idiot.

"You did it now," said Ray, "you hurt his feelings."

Tesla got on his knees and groaned, "Me and my big mouth."

The elder Pikachu sat a hand on his shoulder, _"Don't worry, Dad, he'll be back. This happens all the time."_

"Polly would react the same way if she found out about this."

"Tesla," said Ray, "We'll meet Bruiser back at the bunker, he'll show up eventually."

"Rayovac, I ruined his day. He'd just lost his brother, most of his pack, and the last thing he wanted was me rubbing it all in with an insult!"

"You suffered worse, Tesla, far worse."

Tesla just stared at Ray for a moment, then nodded, "Yeah, yeah I suffered worse. I guess there's nothing to compare here."

_"Dad." _the elder Pikachu winced.

Tesla just ignored him as he walked to the hill's edge and climbed down, leaving his son and grandson behind. When he reached the bottom, the old Pikachu head straight for Doc's house, swearing at himself along the way.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	18. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 17_

There was a knock on the door, Ash got up and walked up to answer it, "Hey, Tesla."

"Hello, Ash." the old Pikachu said emotionlessly.

Tesla walked in on all fours, without saying a word he crept into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed. Ash shut the door and turned back to Tesla, the old Pikachu laid face down on the pillow all spent of energy. The Pokémon trainer walked into the room and approached him, "What's wrong, Tesla?"

"I screwed up," he bluntly say, "That's what's up."

"What happened?"

Tesla sighed, "I hurt Bruiser's feelings and he took off, I didn't bother chasing after him. Ray claims that this happens all the time, yet I'm not so sure. He was just having a good time and I crushed him, cause I screwed up."

The room went silent.

"Did you mean it?" Ash asked.

"I don't know," said Tesla, "Maybe if everyone wouldn't _tease_ me all the time, I might have just kept my cool."

Tesla looked up at Ash, his black eyes were drooping inside his goggles, "I wish to be alone right now."

"Tesla, you've been alone for way too long. We can help you."

The old Pikachu glared at him with steel eyes, "Ash," he said in a stern voice, "Leave the room, now."

Ash nodded, he left the bedroom and closed the door behind him, "Well," he told his friends, "Tesla's back."

"He doesn't sound too happy." said Mark.

"Is he alright?" Iris asked.

"I don't think so, right now he wants to be alone. Let's leave him in there for a moment until he comes out, his nerves are frail as it is."

**. . .**

As the day draws to a close, Ash and his friends played board games. Mark dug around in one of cabinets and pulled out a yellowing book, _Mind or Matter, _it says on the cover. He flipped it open and discovered it was published 40 years ago, regardless, Mark sat down and read a few chapters. His Emolga and Pikachu chased each other where there was space, apparently playing tag. Occasionally one or both of them would relax and beg Mark for a scratching. Instead he pulled out a comb, grooming with one hand while reading the outdated book with the other. He said nothing throughout the day.

Ash's Pikachu and Axew chatted among themselves for a few minutes, then turn their attention to the Pichu egg. So far, nothing, it sat there without stirring or jarring, not giving any hint it was going to hatch. They gave occasional glances at Mark's Pokémon and appeared to be considering whenever to join their little game or not. Unlike Mark's Pokémon, Ash's Pikachu and Iris's Emolga were both properly trained and civilized where Mark's Emolga and Pikachu acted immature. The noise and laughter bounced around the room, clearly bothering Ash and his friends but not Mark. He doesn't seem to mind the excess noise.

"Do you always let your Pokémon run wild?" Cilan asked.

"Course I always let them run wild," said Mark, "They have common sense, it's not like they're going to blow out a circuit breaker or anything."

"Well, they're a little loud." said Iris.

"Axew!" Axew groaned while covering his ears.

"Oh, fine then."

Mark perked his lips and made a sharp whistle, the heavy laughter and giggles ceased instantly, "There we go, problem's solved."

The next 20 minutes went by in silence, the only sounds were breathing and tapping noises of Ash and his friends moving the board pieces around. The front door opened, Doc stepped in and made his way for the kitchen. He didn't say anything or even glanced at anyone, he just disappeared in the kitchen and started rummaging around for something. The Pokémon Doctor was back outside within a minute, "Where is Doc going?" Ash asked.

"No clue," said Mark, "He's awfully busy all the time, and he ain't young anymore. Your guess is as good as mine."

The door opened again, this time it was Rayovac and the elder Pikachu. The elder Pikachu crawled inside and hopped on one of the couches, then curled up to rest. Ray shut the door behind him and joined the others, "What a walk, the sun's setting out there."

"How you're doing, Ray?" Mark asked.

"I'm doing fine," said Ray, "Me and my uncle went out looking for Bruiser. We found him at the usual spot he always goes when upset. Did Tesla told you what happened?"

"Yes," said Ash, "Just in case you need him, he's in the next room though I don't think he wants to be bothered right now."

"How long has he been in there?" Ray asked.

"All evening."

"Well, then. Bruiser might come around sooner or later once he's done crying, if he comes in you can help him feel better by grooming his fur with a comb, especially around on his back in the hard to reach places."

Iris sat up, "What happened to Bruiser?"

"Ax?" Axew asked.

"He went into a mental breakdown, again. But don't worry, he'll be alright, he just need to cry it all out and he'll be good to go."

"Bruiser has depression, right?" asked Cilan.

"Yes, he does, and so does Tesla."

"They should get some medication or something if it's that bad, both don't even look like they wanna live."

"Cilan," said Ash, "Tesla told us he ain't going to see a Pokémon doctor for anything, remember the train?"

"He was intoxicated, Ash, he jumped off a train for Pete's sake!"

"Even if they have medication available," added Ray, "I doubted they would ever take it. Besides, anti-depressants increase the risk of suicide anyway, especially if you mix it with alcohol. And Tesla and Bruiser _do _drink alcohol."

"Pika Pika Pikachu," said the elder Pikachu, then he turned to Ray, "Pika Pika Pi, Pika Pi?"

Ray chuckled, "Yeah, I remember that. They were so wasted they urinated in their burrows before sleeping in them."

Ash was lost, "What?"

"Oh, just family drama, Ash. Nothing to be concerned of."

The elder Pikachu chuckled, "Pika Pikachu."

Ray laughed, "Don't bring that up with Tesla, he's going to flip!"

Ash and his friends groaned, it sounded like these Dixierats had one issue after another.

**. . .**

Bruiser came in when the sun was down, and by then everyone was getting to bed. The front door simply open and he came in. Ray took notice, Bruiser's eyes were still watery but he looked pretty much cried out, "Where's Tesla?" Bruiser asked.

"Bedroom." said Ray.

Bruiser simply nodded and approach the bedroom door, he opened it and found Tesla sleeping on the bed. He walked in and shut the door behind him. As if the old Pikachu was expecting him he simply sat up and looked at him with tired eyes, "Bruiser, I'm sorry." he said with little emotion.

It sounded honest enough, "It's not your fault," Bruiser sighed, "it comes at me every once in a while."

"Family curse."

"Yeah."

Tesla got down from the bed and hugged Bruiser, the Raichu rested his head on the old Pikachu's shoulder and whimpered, "I want my brother back."

"I want my siblings back too," said Tesla, "Even if it's just their bones, at least I have something to bury. For the sake of closure."

When the two let go of each other, Tesla then asked, "Where did you run off too, anyway?"

"A quiet place in Dixie," said Bruiser, "Usually where the distraught Mice Pokémon go."

"That's a bold move considering the poachers aren't happy right now."

"It's just outside of town, and its far from their hunting grounds."

Tesla sat his hand on Bruiser's shoulder, "You feeling okay right now, you're not going to breakdown again?"

"No," said Bruiser, "No, I'm not. I'm all cried out."

"You know you're not young, you know that."

"And you're almost 3 times my age."

"Bruiser, would you like to live till you're 50?"

Bruiser shrugged, "I would be surprised if I live long enough to see 50."

"Then we gotta take out that poacher's camp. For our family's sake, for your brother's sake."

Bruiser nodded, "For my brother's sake."

"Let's go rejoin the others, I think you have other crap to get out of your system."

"If it get's me through the night, then yeah, why not?"

**. . .**

Ash watched Tesla and Bruiser walked out of the bedroom, both either looking bored or tired. He glanced towards Mark, Mark tilt his head toward the old Pikachu. Ash nodded.

As Tesla walked by, Ash reached down and picked him up. The old Pikachu's eyes shot open, he was instantly irritated, "How you're doing, Tesla," Ash asked, "Everything alright?"

"For now," he said, "So is there any reason why you picked me up?"

"Just this."

Ash laid him on his belly and started massaging his back, the old Pikachu awed, "Damn," he muttered, "It's been a while since I had a massage."

Tesla rested his head as Ash got to work. Using his experience from grooming his Pokémon, Ash pulled and pushed the tense muscles. The old Pikachu moaned in Pokémon speech, Bruiser, Ray, and the elder Pikachu sat down and watched as Ash rubbed his thumbs against Tesla's shoulder-blades. Ray tried his best not to laugh, yet Bruiser and the elder Pikachu just sat there. Their eyes locked in a stare.

"Wow," said Tesla, "I never had a massage in a long time."

"Pikachu!" chirped Ash's Pikachu.

**. . .**

With everyone distracted, the Joltik detached from Ray's back and crawled behind the couch. It made its way to the floor, then crawled underneath the couch. It found a comfortable spot to rest and stretched its legs, _I think I had enough electricity for one day_, the Joltik thought as he shut his eyes, _maybe I'll get more tomorrow._

His host wasn't going anywhere until morning, so there was no need to worry about him leaving. The Attaching Pokémon yawned, he listened to the conversation for a while before drifting off to sleep.

**. . .**

Ash massaged Tesla's back for some time before he noticed Tesla stopped murmuring. For a moment he became worried, Ash picked up the old Pikachu and checked to see if he was breathing. Ash relaxed, Tesla simply fell asleep.

"I think your idea worked, Mark." said Ash.

"I wasn't expecting him to fall asleep _that _soon," said Mark, "I guess Tesla has a lot on his mind."

"Emo." murmurred Emolga.

Mark looked down, "You tired too, Emolga?"

"Mmm-hmm." she nodded.

"Looks like it's time to go to bed, guys."

"Yup," said Ash, as he stretched his arms, "I'm beat."

"Pika." his Pikachu agreed.

The kitchen door opened and Doc stepped through, his lab coat was again dirty and his hands were filthy, "What did I miss?" he asked.

"Not much," said Ray, "Just the usual."

Doc nodded and stepped into the bedroom, he didn't come back out for the rest of the night.

**. . .**

An hour after everyone went to bed, Ray couldn't sleep. He was feeling it, and the feeling was all to real. Yes, it was that night. It had to be that night. With no power in Dixie, there won't be active alarm systems, which means the stores are open for the taking. Ray had looted stores when he was younger, mostly for beer and sometimes for food. He never took the cash in the register, he had little use for money. It was the alcohol he most certainly value.

The Dixierats used to join him in his liquor raids in their early days, when the town has yet to install alarm systems. Ray would always go in quietly through the back door. He knew how to pick locks, knew how to craft lock picking tools. Ray would use his custom-made picks to defeat simple doorknob and deadbolt locks. Once in, he let his fellow Dixierats take over. It was usually the same things, beer, wine, vodka, and whiskey. The Pikachus would haul them off in six-packs while the Raichus handle the kegs. Each Dixierat must get one thing and only, then they head back to the designated meeting place where they would have a little party.

Things got a little complicated after Rayovac "changed," his incredible bulk and one hand made him stand out from the crowd. Occasionally Dixierats would get caught, usually the dumb ones. But they always escape with their lives, yet disappointingly ditching the loot in the process. He couldn't afford getting ass-handed by the police, so instead of participating in the actual raids, he gathered the willing Dixierats and gave them clear instructions on what to do. After sending them off, Ray waited at the meeting place for the Dixierats to come back, hopefully with beer in their hands.

When enough alcohol was gathered, it all went into the co-conspirator's stomachs faster than they stole it. It didn't take much to get wasted, most Dixierats were pretty much drunk after 2 or 4 beers. The equivalent of having 6 or 7 beers for a 2 meter tall human being. With a campfire blazing and Ray striking cords on the crummy banjo, the Dixierats dance and sang the pride song until they pass out. By the end of the day, there were beer bottles and cans everywhere. Some Dixierats had the courtesy to pick up all the trash, only to bury it in a ditch.

There hadn't been much raids since the town started putting in surveillance cameras and alarm systems, it was enough to keep lone Dixierats away. But on occasion, a small team of Dixierats would cut the power, and not only did they raid the beer but they destroyed the alarm systems and surveillance systems as well. Having become more intolerant of the raids, the mayor had night guards placed at several establishments that sells beer and food. That pretty much ended the Dixierat raids, but on occasion, some Dixierats would give it a try. Ray recalled that one night guard had it with the Dixierats that he poured Arsenic in a beer and gave it to a Pikachu. The Dixierat fell ill and was taken to the nearby Pokémon Center where it made a full recovery, nobody knew which night guard poisoned it. And apparently, nobody cared.

Ray knew this was the only opportunity to do a raid, with the power out the town's police force was less organized and communication can only travel at running speed. Yes, there might be night guards posted at the establishments, maybe more than one, but a successful raid can be pulled. Ray knows it, and feels it, cause this time they would have Tesla to join his posse.

_If only he would cooperate. _Ray thought.

Tesla was no night-walker, and he enjoys sleeping a lot. Waking him would spark his temper and he might not agree with his plan, but who's to say when he can be persuaded with a bottle of thick ale?

Ray sat up on his cot and turned to Bruiser, the Raichu slept peacefully next to him. He seemed to be dreaming of happier times, too bad those dreams were about to be interrupted.

"Psst," Ray whispered into Bruiser's ear, "Bruiser, wake up."

Bruiser's eyes flickered open, he glanced at Ray in the darkness and yawned, "What is it, Ray?"

"Wanna have a stiff drink?"

The Raichu was wide awake in an instant, "Yeah, I want." he whispered.

"Wanna have a challenge getting it?"

"You betcha."

"Well," Ray whispered, "We gotta get Tesla into this or it won't be fun at all."

Both cousins glanced over at Tesla. He slept on the couch with a blanket over him. The Pichu egg laid cozy in the blankets near his head, Tesla had an arm near it as if to check if it was still there, "He's not going to be happy." warned Bruiser.

"Then we'll drag his ass outside and wake him." whispered Ray.

Ray crept passed the sleeping trainers and their Pokémon, he approached Tesla and picked him up. The old Pikachu was a heavy sleeper, he didn't stir when Ray host him over his shoulder while carrying him to the front door, "Be gentle with him!" Bruiser hissed.

"I am." insisted Ray.

Ray quietly opened the front door and both cousins stepped outside, the sky above was gray and mesmerizing. Somehow there was enough light to see, even draw shadows. Ray wondered if there was a full moon out tonight, he couldn't remember, he lost track of the lunar calendar, "Okay," he said in normal volume, "Let's carry him far enough from the bunker, then we wake him."

"Gotcha." said Bruiser.

The cousins carried their sleeping grandfather at least a hundred meters from the bunker, once they were out of sight Ray sat Tesla down and stomped on his belly. Tesla gasped and his eyes shot open, he was just about to go into defensive mode when he realized it was just Ray and Bruiser. That made him even more angry, "What is this," he demanded, "What is going on!?"

"You wanna come raid some liquor at town?" Ray asked.

Tesla clenched his teeth and glared at Ray, "You wake me to help you guys get wasted!?"

"Well you want a drink so bad, so why not?"

"Why did you bring me outside?"

"Cause we know you're going to rage when we wake you," said Bruiser, "We don't wanna disturb the others, they don't need to know what we're up to."

Tesla panted for a moment, then turned away, "Damn you guys!"

"Tesla," said Ray, "Calm down, we know you want beer so badly, and not just the crap Doc has in the fridge."

"I _do_ want beer that badly," Tesla shook his head and groaned, "Okay, fine, I'll join you in your stupid raid. I'll not bail out your ass if you get caught though."

_Well that was easy, _Ray chuckled, "Well, Grandpa, would you calm down so you won't pop?"

Tesla took a deep breath, held it for a second, then exhaled, "Okay," he said calmly, "At least you care about my health, I appreciate it, and at least you have the courtesy of thinking ahead."

"Ray did the thinking." said Bruiser.

"Of course he did, who else would've stomped on my gut?"

The forest went silent.

"Well," said Tesla, "You have a store in mind?"

"Yeah," said Ray, "I got one in mind."

**. . .**

The store in mind was well chosen. It sat at the corner of town, well away from the police department. Forest surrounded both sides along a paved road that was once connected to the outside world. This was the same store Mark bought ice cream for his Pokémon when he first arrive, Tesla could tell from the smell of three ice cream sandwich wrappers emanating from the nearby trash can.

_This trash can hadn't been taken out in a while, _Tesla thought, noting how strong the smell was, _Does that mean not much people come out here?_

Tesla got down from the trash can and rejoined Ray and Bruiser, who were sitting behind the dumpster. The store's outdoor lights were dark, indicating that the store wasn't powered like the rest of town. A single uniformed guard sat at the entrance, snoring loudly every few seconds.

"He's asleep," whispered Ray, "This should be easy."

"How much beer do you want to forage?" Tesla asked.

"Just enough to get drunk." said Bruiser.

Tesla chuckled, "Which means we need a sh*t ton."

"Damn right," said Ray, "How much can you carry, Grandpa?"

"Depends, when I'm feeling it," Tesla leaned forward and added, "And I'm feeling it. So I might carry a six-pack on my back and haul out."

"That's the goal," said Ray, "We all each grab a six-pack, then bail out. Should take less than a minute."

"Unless we dick around." said Bruiser.

Ray continued, "Once we're out of town, we'll head straight for the bunker. Then we'll head out to a little gathering spot and crack open these cold ones."

Ray crept around the corner of the store. Hidden in the shadows, Bruiser and Ray followed him to the back door. They looked like black silhouettes of monsters from scary children stories, which will no doubt spook an adult. Tesla pressed his back against the wall and held his breath, he felt his heart racing with the speed of a jet engine. He hadn't broken into a store in years, let alone decades. His rogue skills were a bit rusty, but as he watch Ray pick the lock on the door he almost felt he was looting beer for his long past friends again.

"What are you using to pick the lock, Ray?" Tesla asked.

"Simple clip from a pen and a paper clip," he said, he tried to squeeze the lock picking tools in place then gave up, "No wonder I don't raid stores anymore, I'd forgotten I can't pick locks anymore. Can you pick a lock, Tesla?"

It was obvious, Tesla was the one with 10 digits. Ray had only 5 while Bruiser had none at all. Tesla felt his temper sting, he beat it back down and breathed, "Yeah, I can pick a lock."

Ray handed him the tools. The torson wrench was a metal clip that came off of a ball-point pen cap and the pick was a bent arm of a paper clip with raised bumps. Primitive tools, but Tesla worked with them before. He stuck the torson wrench in the keyhole and gave it tension with his thumb, then stuck the pick in and raked the tumblers of the lock. It took several rakes before the lock turned, Tesla grabbed the door knob and opened it, "There we go."

Ray nodded, "You done this before, haven't you."

That was no question, "Yes, I done it before. It was much easier 50 years ago, when police response was a laugh."

"Still's a laugh here," said Bruiser, "Let's hope we don't put it to the test."

Tesla opened the door wide open and let Ray and Bruiser in, then shut it behind him. Once inside the store, the three Mice Pokémon made their way to the front. It was pitch black, and silent. Tesla expected some sort of alarm to go off, or maybe it was a silent alarm. Highly unlikely though, this town couldn't even afford to buy new carpet. The old Pikachu relaxed a little as he and his grandchildren made it to the main room. They found all the freezer and refrigerators were stripped of all perishable food, probably taken out into town to be eaten or disposed of. The food and beverages that doesn't require refrigerating were still there. Tesla glanced over at the sleeping guard. He was still leaning in his chair against the glass door, snoozing away.

Ray skimmed through the packaged liquor and picked out a brand, "Grab these," he whispered, "These have a strong taste to them."

Tesla picked up one of the packs, his arms couldn't hold the six pack, "Ugh," he grunted as he sat down the six-pack, "I forgotten how heavy beer was."

"Don't strain yourself, Tesla." whispered Bruiser.

The old Pikachu hoisted the six-pack again, this time placing it on his back, "Ah, that's much better. Do we have anything to hold down this thing?"

"I don't think so," said Ray, "How good is your balance?"

"Chiseled to precision."

Bruiser nodded, "Then let's wrap up shop."

Ray hoisted a six-pack over his non-dominate shoulder with little effort, the big lug's strength was quite impressive. Either it was his bulk or serious muscle, Tesla wasn't sure. He felt a hint of pride for his grandson, not enough to show it but enough to feel certain Polly would be proud of him. Bruiser lifted up another six-pack, then heaved it up on his back, "I feel drunk already." Bruiser snickered.

"Save it till we're outta town," said Tesla, "I don't want to sleep in a jail guarded with weary police officers."

The Mice Pokémon silently crept back towards the back door, Ray used his free hand to open the back door. After checking the coast is clear, he tweaked the knob back into the lock position and let Bruiser and Tesla walk ahead. He shut the back door and gave the knob a twist to see if its locked, "We're good to go." said Ray.

The Mutant Mouse Pokémon blinked and his eyes crossed, "What's wrong, Ray?" Tesla asked.

"Damn fireworks acting up again," Ray grumbled, "They're getting loud."

"Can you hold on till we get out of town?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to lose it either way."

**. . .**

Ray lost it the moment they cleared the danger zone, he dropped his six-pack of beer and ran off whimpering. Tesla left Bruiser with all the beer and chased after him. He didn't get far, Tesla managed to catch up to Ray and gave him a light Thundershock. The Mutant Mouse Pokémon jerked and twitched violently before collapsing on the ground, when he sat up a few seconds later he claimed the fireworks were gone.

"You had me worried there, Ray," said Tesla, "I thought you were having a seizure for a moment."

"That was a seizure," said Ray, "But I'll live."

Ray and Tesla got back to Bruiser and picked up their six-packs. The Raichu didn't say a word what happened. Ray's episodes were so common, Bruiser didn't need an explanation. When the Mice Pokémon got back to the bunker, Ray directed them back to their little campfire pit where they started a small ember. Then they opened up the six-packs, "Aluminum bottles," Tesla thought out loud as he pulled one out of the cardboard box, "These are aluminum bottles."

"Seen them before?" Ray asked.

"Once or twice, but I never held one before."

"They've been shipping them in last week," said Bruiser, "The beer's not that bad, tasted no different from their can counterparts."

Tesla stared at it for a moment, "I miss glass bottles already."

That earned everyone a chuckle.

When the Mice Pokémon started drinking them down, their conversations became more slurred. More immature, and more stupid. Being an experienced drinker, Tesla couldn't feel much of a buzz. He wasn't sure if he was drunk or not, he already have 3 beers. That should be enough for him to feel . . . something. He was surprised when Ray hammered down 5 beers, he managed to get a 6 one down when he flopped on his back, "I think my brain's coming out my nose," he mumbled, "Like, putting or something."

"Putting?" Bruiser asked.

"Yeah, like putting."

Bruiser chugged down his 4th beer and tossed the empty bottle aside, "Okay," he said, "Suhh . . . posingly we get rid of all the poachers. What about the sh*t they leave behind?"

"Free guns," murmured Ray, "And a lot of bullets to go with it."

"Assuming they don't wound up in your ass."

Ray chuckled, he rolled over on his stomach and got up, "They won't wound up anywhere, them poachers can't hit a barn door with pellet shot."

"They'll need slug rounds to put you down," said Tesla, "smaller rounds would just bounce off of you like sleet."

"That they'd do! They don't even get near to me to deflect."

Tesla chuckled, _"Deflect and protect," _he mumbled in Pokémon speech, _"Then stir fry."_

"What does that mean?" Bruiser asked.

"I have no idea," said Tesla, "Something have to do with a fast-food restaurant inside an armory."

"Where did you heard it from?" Ray asked.

"I think I heard it from Irvin..."

Tesla's voice trailed off, he stared at the burning campfire for a moment then glanced at his beer...

**. . .**

Ash's Pikachu stirred, his instincts told him to get up and get up fast. When he woke up, he stopped himself from jumping out of Ash's arms and waking up the place. Something was kinda off, not exactly wrong, like something was missing. He crawled out of Ash's arms and silently jumped down the couch.

Indeed, something was missing. Pikachu checked the other couches. Cilan was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor and Iris slept peacefully on the middle couch, with Axew in her arms. Mark slept peacefully on the bare mat behind that couch with his Emolga and Pikachu, both curled up under his arms. Pikachu rubbed his eyes and tried to peer through the dark. Tesla was gone, just an empty space between the sleeping elder Dixierat and the Pichu egg. The Mouse Pokémon jumped up on the couch and sniffed the egg, then sniffed the couch cushion.

_Where are you, Tesla? _He thought.

The old Pikachu must had left in the middle of the night. Wherever he may be, he wouldn't have gotten far. Tesla's scent was still fresh, he must have left minutes ago. Pikachu got down from the couch and crept through the darkness towards the front door, the bare mat where Bruiser and Ray was sleeping was empty. Had they left as well? Pikachu felt a ping of worry rising up in his chest, just when he was considering his next move he felt a breeze ripple past the back of his neck.

Pikachu turned and noticed the front door was ajar, someone left it open. The Mouse Pokémon stuck his head through it, a faint smell of burning leaves met his little nose. A campfire was burning, and it wasn't that far away. Pikachu glanced back into the darkness, Mark let out a soft snore as the other trainers slept silently. They wouldn't notice he was gone, it would only be a few minutes.

The Mouse Pokémon squeezed through the gap of the door and followed his nose towards the burning campfire.

**. . .**

"You okay, Tesla?" Ray asked.

The old Pikachu just sat there for a moment, he clutched his beer bottle as he stared into the campfire. His eyes fixated on the embers that fly off in the smoke. Ray rest a hand on his shoulder and pulled him in, the old Pikachu rested his head on his chest and muttered, "I miss Polly so much."

"There there, Tez. It's alright."

Tesla pulled away and shot a look at him, "How is anything alright? Tell me, Ray, what _is _alright?"

"You're not alone."

"And that's all what's good for me."

Tesla chugged the rest of his beer and threw the aluminum bottle into the fire, "Polly was the best thing that ever happened to me, I have no hope in finding my parents and brothers and sisters but I just have one slimmer of hope left in finding Polly. She has to be out there, somewhere, thinking about me. I dread what I would find if I managed to track her down."

"I have the same feeling for my brother." said Bruiser.

"Do you owe your favors?"

"I do, he helped pull me back to my feet that day."

"That day, that fateful day you evolved?"

"Yes."

Tesla thought for a moment, "Once we find him, _if _we find him, he's going to call that debt in."

"But we gotta know where he is first," said Ray, "Those poachers might have captured several Pikachus during that massacre. If Pika isn't among the dead, then he might have been captured. If he wasn't captured, he should have turned up by now."

"Does your brother have a mate?" Tesla asked.

Bruiser nodded, "Yes, her name's Chuchu. She'd just laid an egg a week ago."

"An egg?" Tesla asked.

"Yeah, Pika wouldn't stop talking about it. He would-"

Bruiser's eyes shot open, "Wait a minute, where did you find that Pichu egg, Tesla?"

"In a burrow," said Tesla, "Next to the dead mother, I brought them both back to the bunker and had Andy buried her. Why?"

"By any chance, does the burrow sit in a small valley facing towards the clearing?"

"That's the bunker."

Bruiser dropped his beer, "Oh my..."

"Wait a second," said Ray, "Slow down, what are we on to?"

**. . .**

Pikachu saw the small glow of the campfire up ahead, he crept up to the bushes and squeezed into them. He peered through the leaves and saw Tesla, Ray, and Bruiser sitting around the campfire. Beer bottles litter the campsite, the smell of alcohol was strong.

_What are they doing? _Pikachu thought.

"Chuchu's dead," Bruiser screamed, Pikachu jumped back and held his breath, "Chuchu's dead! No!"

Tesla shook his head, "Damn," he muttered, "I should've known."

Big globes of tears started trailing down Bruiser's face, "How did she die, Tesla? Is there anyway she suffered?"

"She was shot in the back," said Tesla, "Bullet blown out her stomach. I have no doubt she did."

Bruiser turned away and whimpered. Ray frowned and looked up in the starry sky. Tesla just sat there, his expression unchanged.

Pikachu squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, he just couldn't take it. He felt he wanna cry too. Pikachu felt a tear trailed down his cheek as Bruiser looked back up at Tesla, "At least you brought her back and had her buried, that was very noble. And saving her egg is beyond words. I just don't know what would happen if that Pichu is born without any parents."

"You wanna take in the Pichu?" Tesla asked.

"In my state, no, even if it pains me that the Pichu's my niece. I'm in no shape to raise her, Tesla, and I do not want to be the one to tell her what happened to her parents."

"I'll take her in then," said Tesla, "After she's born, I'll pick her up and leave Dixie _after _we take care of these poachers. I've seen enough of my relatives suffer already."

Ray got up and stretched his legs, "Can we have a night where we don't worry about a thing?"

Tesla cracked a smile, "Yeah we can, I'm in the mood for another beer."

Bruiser sighed, "If it helps me sleep tonight, okay."

The conversation drifted off to _normal_ affairs, Pikachu lost interest and discreetly slipped out of the bushes. As he head back towards the bunker, he felt the tears surge up. He couldn't help it. The Mouse Pokémon got on his knees and sobbed. How could a poor Pichu grow up in such a place? The Dixie's hounded by humans, both either trying to protect them or hunt them down. What a divided world. He couldn't work up much hate for the Dixierats that ambushed his friends. Their plight was clear. The Dixierats were struggling to live, to thrive in this environment. Pikachu had seen other Pokémon suffer like this before, but not his own kind on _this _scale. He had a feeling this wasn't the worst of it, it was still yet to come.

Pikachu wiped away the tears and continued back towards the bunker. He walked inside and left the door ajar, he silently climbed back into Ash's arms and rest. He was asleep in minutes.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	19. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 18_

Nick woke up when someone tapped on his window, he grabbed the revolver off his nightstand and scrambled out of bed. He took a deep breath and approached the window, the gun clenched firmly in his hand. He grabbed the cord on the blinds and took a moment to brace himself, then pulled them open.

He was relieved to find it was someone he knew, Nick unlocked the window and pushed it open, "Hello, Ernest."

"You doing okay, Nick?" he asked.

"No, I got contraband in my fridge getting ready to rot and I don't know what to do with it."

"Cook it and eat it," said Ernest, "The entire town's frying meat on the streets, no one would be none the wiser. By the way, this is why I came. Hendrickson needs you in tracking down a certain Pikachu."

Nick raised an eyebrow, "And what Pikachu would that be?"

"The one who brought all the Dixierats to the world. He'll be wearing welding goggles, so he'll be hard to miss."

"Is he Tesla, _the _Tesla? Cause if he is, then it would be a no sh*tter if he sparked that big ass Thunderbolt."

Ernest frowned, "It's Tesla alright, and he'll be a damn smart one. Get near him and he'll sniff you out, let him hear your voice and he'll get suspicious. Don't even wear camouflage today, you're attracting unwanted attention from the police."

"Don't you think I know that?" Nick barked in a whisper, then he shrugged, "So where do I start?"

"I wouldn't ask the Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy," said Ernest, "They would raise alarm if they found out someone's looking for him. You'll need to start with bare bones."

"What do I have to work with?"

"He was last spotted running down to that mad scientist's hovel, you should start there."

_Is Ralph crazy or something, _Nick thought, _I have the police breathing down my neck and he wants to send me out looking for a rodent who can unleash instant death?_

"Can I shoot him if the situation comes to it?" Nick asked.

"Preferably we want him alive," said Ernest, "You can shoot him, and even beat him to a pulp, but it must not be fatal. Do you have any idea how rare a Pikachu like him is?"

"One in a one-hundred billion probably."

"Next to impossible to other words," said Ernest, "Nick, we need that Pikachu. He's worth a fortune."

"I'll get started first thing this morning," said Nick, "Just please have Hendrickson send someone to my house to clear out all that contraband, I'll feel better if the police finds nothing to hold against me."

"It will be done, Nick. You have my assurances."

Nick shut the window after Ernest left, he tossed the gun back on the nightstand and climbed back into bed, "I need a new job," he muttered, "this one sucks."

**. . .**

Sunlight poured through the windows, signaling a brand new day. Ash and his friends woke up, almost in unison. They sat up from their couches and makeshift beds and stretched their arms. Ash glanced down at his Pikachu, his buddy's eyes flickered open and looked up at him. Pikachu smiled, as he always does on every morning.

Ash glanced over at Tesla and the elder Dixierat. Both were still hard asleep. The elder Pikachu was still curled up, its face tucked under its good arm. Tesla was flat on his back, his mouth gaping open. Ash noticed the old Pikachu was drooling on the couch, he must be sleeping hard.

"Morning, Ash." said Cilan.

"Morning." said Ash.

At that moment, Mark's Pikachu sniffled, "Ah, Ahh! AH-"

_ZZZZZTT!_

Yellow light flashed and Mark screamed, Iris jumped up from the couch and Axew went tumbling on the floor. The elder Pikachu's one eye flickered open, he rolled off the couch and flopped to the floor. He let out a soft cry before getting back on his feet. The bedroom door fly open and Andy ran right in, wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and a pair of . . . Pikachu boxers.

"DAMN IT!" Mark roared.

Ash peered over the couch. Mark's hands were locked in jagged claws, shaking profusely. His Emolga sat against the wall, her eyes swirling in spirals. His Pikachu laid in the center of the floor, grabbing her ears. Ash turned to Ray and Bruiser, they were still asleep. The commotion didn't wake them up.

Mark's Pikachu scrambled back to her feet and ran back to him, her arms were wide open as big tears trailed down her face, "Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!"

The Dixierat jumped into Mark's arms and cried on his shoulder, "There, there," he said, "I'm alright, I'm okay! There, there, girl! Everything's fine!"

"What happened!?" Iris cried.

"Axew!?" Axew added.

Mark got up on his feet and laughed, "She sneezed and accidentally discharged electricity."

Doc snickered, "That's common for electric-types, you should have seen the fire-types when they sneeze."

Mark turned to Ray and Bruiser, "Now look at that, they must be heavy sleepers."

Ray muttered something under his breath, he changed position and let out a slight snore. Bruiser's ears twitched, he kicked a foot and murmured in Pokémon speech. Doc walked passed Mark and approached Tesla, "Tes?" he called out, "Are you awake?"

Doc picked up the old Pikachu and held him up to eye level, "Tesla?"

"No," he mumbled in a low whisper, "I'll not have another."

Doc pried Tesla's mouth open and looked inside, "Oh boy," he said, "Tesla's been drinking again, probably he and those grand kids of his went out to get some beer."

Mark sat down his Pikachu, "Here, let me see him."

Doc handed Tesla to Mark, he held him up and whispered into his ear, "Tesla, hello?"

Tesla replied with a soft snore, Mark turned him upside down and shook him, "Hello?"

Nothing, Tesla just kept on sleeping, unaware of the world around him.

"Yeah, he's out cold," said Mark, "But there's one thing I want to try."

Mark sat Tesla back on the couch and picked up his Emolga, then held her rear over his nose, "Okay, Emolga. You know what to do."

"Em!" Emolga chirped.

Emolga made a sharp toot, it was enough for Tesla to stir. He rolled onto his belly and moaned, "Oh, damn. I need to hurl!"

Doc got the front door open as Tesla ran out, he went around to the back where everyone heard him puke. He came back within a minute. Tesla's eyes were gray with fatigue, he crawled in and slump to the floor, "I'm going back to bed now."

"Were you drinking again, Tesla?" Doc asked.

"Ray," Tesla muttered, "It was Ray's idea. Damn you, Ray. Damn you."

With that, Tesla started snoring and was asleep again.

"Poor thing," said Iris, "Will he be alright?"

"He'll probably be out for the entire day," said Doc, "I seen him have hangovers before, they always look like this."

The elder Pikachu walked up to Tesla and pulled him up, "Pika," the Dixierat insisted, "Pikachu!"

"Don't strain yourself," said Doc, "Here, I'll take him."

Doc picked up Tesla and sat him back on the couch, then turned back to Ash, "You got something to do today, Ash?"

"Yeah," said Ash, "Officer Jenny wants us to spy on Nick Terrance, you know him?"

"He's a poacher," said Doc, "I'd seen him set up traps and haul Dixierat cadavers, he's on the poacher's payroll alright."

Ash's jaw dropped, that was not what he expected.

"Why didn't you report him to the police?" Cilan asked.

"I have no proof to make my claim stick," said Doc, "Besides, he hates the job anyway and I don't blame him. I had plans to follow him back to the poacher camp, but never got around to it. He's nervous as heck, Ash, he has the word guilty written all over him."

"What do we do?" Cilan asked.

"If you want evidence, go break into his house. He has some contraband locked up in a freezer or under his bed. Officer Jenny might not be happy with it, but she will turn a blind eye in this case."

Ash nodded, "Good to know."

**. . .**

"So what happened here?" Officer Jenny asked Usher, the night guard of the town's isolated convenience store.

"I have no idea," said Usher, "I just turned around and there it was, I think someone got in through the back."

No sh*t. Three boxes of beer were missing from the display pallets. Officer Jenny didn't need to look that hard, she went around the back and checked the back door. Sure enough, the lock on the doorknob was twisted to an angle. Locks don't do that without a key, it was clearly picked. Officer Jenny went back to Usher, "Were you sleeping on the job again?"

Usher hesitated, then sighed, "Yes."

"So you assumed that if you sleep at the front door no one would get in."

Usher lowered his head, "Yes."

"So the solution for them was to go to the back, and obviously it was locked so they picked it. You've been outsmarted, Usher, and it didn't take much brainpower to do it."

Officer Jenny couldn't work up much hate for Usher, he was working overtime since the blackout. His effectiveness had deteriorated so much that he couldn't even guard a simple bicycle. And he wasn't the only officer working overtime. Jenny could count the total number of officers in the Dixie Police Department with her hands. The local police was understaffed. Jenny could ask Mayor Sordino to bring in some providential officers into town, but that could also risk exposing the town secret. At least the turd-sniffing rodents hadn't come around yesterday, and so far she hadn't seen a single one this morning. If this keeps up, the rest of the week should go smoothly.

"You got off lucky today," said Officer Jenny, "They could have stolen more of the merchandise and taken all the cash. But they didn't. Whoever broke in just wanted to get wasted. Go home, Usher. Sleep off the rest of the day and come back to the station around 5."

Usher nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Officer Jenny watched Usher walked off until he was out of sight. She then turned her attention back to the doorknob. She twist the latch till it clicked, then turned the knob. The keyhole remained stuck in its angle. Great, the doorknob's busted. Time to get a new one. She'll have to write a note to the shop owner when he comes in later. Right now, she had something more important to do. Officer Jenny need to take care of Nick Terrance. She was positive that whatever evidence he had that might prove his role in the poachers' operation would be in his house, tucked away somewhere where it was out of sight and out of mind. She couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

A crack of thunder echoed in the distance, it was so faint she almost never heard it at all. It was coming from the west, Officer Jenny was sure. She looked up in the sky, it was a milky white. Though she wasn't a meteorologist, she could tell the sky was getting darker by the second. A storm was coming, and it looked like a big one.

**. . .**

After Ash and his friends got changed, they had breakfast in the kitchen. Doc prepared waffles with syrup, along with cinnamon toast and some bacon. It tasted good, better than the same kind from public restaurants. Doc was that good of a doctor _and _a cook. The Pokémon food he prepared were what he claimed was a modified form of Pokéblocks. They were comprised of rainbow colors as regular Pokéblocks, yet have crystal texture to them. Pikachu and Axew loved it, Doc explained that they taste and feel kinda like dried milk cake with a taffy feel. Mark's Emolga, as always, preferred to eat human food. Mark's Pikachu hadn't tried Doc's Pokéblocks before. She popped a couple into her mouth and chewed it up, "How is it, Pikachu?" Mark asked.

The Dixierat simply shrugged, "Pikachu." she said with no emotion.

"The Dixierats eat mainly conventional food," said Doc, "Usual Pokémon food don't taste as good to them because they lack the rich protein found in people food. In other words, they prefer a diet similar to how my grandfather fed his Pokémon."

"Rich protein?" Cilan asked.

"Grease," Doc bluntly say, "Fats, oils. The crap that makes conventional food conventional, that's why the Dixierats are fat and have horrible gas."

"And they're cooking a lot of it in town," said Iris, "yet the Dixierats are too ill to investigate."

"Oh one or two Dixierats should start showing up soon, I'd checked the local Dixierat communities and they're recovering fast. Just enough to walk around outside their burrows, yet might not be ready for a trip to town just yet."

When everyone finished breakfast, they sat their dishes in the sink and returned to the living room, "Okay," said Mark, "What do you want to do, Doc?"

"I wanna check out a nearby creek," said Doc, "I suspect there might be signs of poacher activity. It isn't that far, just a 20 minute walk."

"I'll go with you then."

"We also have Nick to deal with," said Ash, "Assuming he has a part of this at all."

"Oh he has a part," said Doc, "Take his credibility and watch him crack at the seams."

Ash turned to Pikachu, "Come on, Pikachu, let's go."

Pikachu threw his arms up and shook his head, "Pika Pika!" he cried.

Confusion swirled around Ash's head, "What's wrong, Pikachu?"

He rushed over to Tesla and hugged him, "Pikachu! Pika Pika Pikachu!"

"I think he wants to stay here with Tesla, Ash." said Cilan.

Ash nodded, "Are you going to be okay with him, Bruiser, and Ray, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded, "Pika!"

"He'll be alright, Ash," reassured Iris, "Tesla seems to like him."

"Axew!" insisted Axew.

Ash shrugged, "I think Pikachu can get through to him, somehow," he turned back to his buddy, "Can you see if you can find out anymore about him, Pikachu?"

"Pi!" Pikachu nodded.

"Alright, buddy. Be safe, we'll be back either around afternoon or sunset."

A part of Ash wondered if it was a good idea to let Pikachu stay with Tesla for the day. Sure they get along, but Tesla's grouchy and can snap easily. He was worried that the old Pikachu might hurt his best friend. To come to think of it, that was highly unlikely. Tesla praised him and his Pikachu for getting him a clean slate on Faraday Island, and he clearly wanted be close friends. Ash occasionally saw a twinkle in Tesla's eyes, usually when he's feeling good. Tesla Westinghouse, an old Pikachu who was on the verge of giving up on life, wanted something warm in his sore heart. It would take more than friends and family to unlock it.

Ash and his friends left the bunker and head straight for town, Doc and Mark followed behind. Emolga and Mark's Pikachu rushed up to their trainer and climbed up onto his shoulders. They moved so fast that they almost fell off, Mark laughed and held them steady, "Try slowing down, we have all day."

_Do we? _Ash thought but didn't say.

**. . .**

A few minutes after the group depart, Tesla stirred out of his sleep, "Are you there, Polly?" he mumbled, "Are you there?"

_"Tesla!"_

That wasn't Polly, it didn't sounded like her. Tesla opened his eyes and saw it was the Kanto-born Pikachu, it was holding up a glass of water.

_"Here!"_ he insisted.

"You got me a glass of water?" Tesla asked.

Pikachu nodded, _"Yes, Tesla."_

"How sweet of you."

Tesla sat up and took the cup. The water tasted like rust mixed with soap, the headache continued to ping against his brain as he emptied the cup into his stomach, "I'm going to need more," he said, "I'm so thirsty."

_"You alright, Tesla?" _Pikachu asked, _"I know you went out to get wasted. You left the door open and I heard all the noise you and the others were making."_

Tesla groaned, "Damn Ray's fault, he's the one who dragged me outside and persuaded me to go along with his party plan. Ugh, I feel so sick, I'm going to fry his ass when he gets up."

_"What's wrong, Tesla? Why are you so mad or grumpy all the time?"_

The old Pikachu glared at him for a moment, "Do I have to risk sounding like a broken record?"

_"You told me you were separated from your family a long time ago, and also separated from your family," _then Ash's Pikachu added, _"But there's a lot more than that. You are surrounded by family, the Pokémon you brought to the world. So why are you still sad?"_

Tesla looked away and grumbled, "I used to be like you, Pikachu. A long time ago, I had more friends than I could count," the old Pikachu took a deep breath, "I watched all of them die, either from being stupid or from old age. I'm old, Pikachu, I'm not a youngster like you. If you lived to see my age, you can bet that 9 out of the 10 people and Pokémon you have met in your lifetime will be dead and buried. Sure I have all my legal problems taken care of, but I'm still lonely. Lonelier than an isolated island. I really wanna open up to you guys, I just can't do it."

He turned back towards Pikachu, "I just can't, fella."

Pikachu's ears dropped, his eyes started glistening with tears, _"Would you be alright?"_

Tesla looked around, he saw Bruiser, Ray, and his son sleeping in the corner on a mat, but no sign of the others, "Where is everybody?"

_"They left to hunt down some poachers, I stayed behind to look after you. I was worried about you."_

Hearing that made Tesla smile, "Few Pokémon have such compassion for me, it's nice to hear that someone still cares about a worn out Pikachu."

Tesla handed the glass back to Pikachu, "Since you are so eager for my well-being, I would appreciate it if you befriend some Dixierats. Bruiser, Ray, and my own son are old and have a lot of problems on our minds. You want to talk to some of the younger Dixierats, they speak highly of you."

Pikachu's ears went up, _"They do?"_

"Yes," said Tesla, "They do, they praise you because, in their eyes, you are a pure-bred. Meaning that your genes are as close to perfection as they could possibly get. They're eager to meet you in person, I'm sure that the last conflagration of Dixierats didn't discourage you in anyway.

_"What?" _Pikachu asked, _"I didn't understand that big word."_

"Nevermind about it," then Tesla added, "Look, Pikachu, I need your help. These Dixierats need a fresh set of genes and you're the only Pikachu who can provide it, I just need to know if you know what I'm talking about."

Pikachu shook his head no, _"No idea."_

_ The little guy's innocence beams strong, _Tesla thought, "Okay then, I'll try to explain later. Right now we have a more immediate issue. The poachers are still out there and we need to nail down their main camp, I want to know if you're up to the challenge because we're not dealing with the poachers you are used to. No, they will _not _attack us with Pokémon, they'll-"

Something caught the corner of Tesla's eye, he blinked and looked down. A yellow-orange fur ball with multiple legs slowly crawled out from underneath the couch, its blue eyes sparkling under the diffused sunlight. It crawled, almost tip-toeing, as it made its way towards the sleeping Mice Pokémon. Tesla turned back to Pikachu, the youngster's eyes were bulging out of his skull. They turned back to the creature and watched it crawl on Ray's belly. It spread out its legs and closed its eyes. Ray just laid there, unaware of the bug that was sitting on him. He just muttered something under his breath as the thing let out a snore, indicating it just went back to sleep.

_"What is that thing?" _Tesla whispered to Pikachu in his Pokémon speech.

_"A Joltik," _whispered Pikachu, _"The Attaching Pokémon, it'll suck Ray dry from electricity."_

_ "Well where did it came from?"_

_ "I don't really know."_

Tesla turned back to Pikachu and whispered in human speech, "Okay, we gotta get that thing out of here. If it latches itself onto the elder Dixierat and sucks his energy dry, he'll might not recover from it. I'll open the front door, then we'll drag Ray outside where we could get that thing off of him."

_"Why not wake Ray?" _Pikachu asked.

"There's no telling how Ray will react to find he's got a Joltik stuck on him, he might raise chaos..."

Tesla thought for a moment, then nodded, "Screw it, we'll wake him."

The old Pikachu got off the couch and opened the front door, then crept up to Ray. Without hesitating, Tesla clamped a hand over Ray's mouth. The Mutant Mouse Pokémon jumped and tried to struggle, "Shhh!" he whispered into his ear.

Ray's eyes fluttered open, when he looked up to Tesla he pointed at the Joltik on his stomach, "Before you do anything, take it outside. There's no telling what kind of personality this Joltik harbors."

Ray nodded without question. When Tesla let go of him, he got up and walked outside, dragging his crudely formed tail behind him. Tesla and Pikachu followed him outside, after getting a comfortable distance from the bunker Ray let at it, "Hello," Ray asked the Joltik, "Are you awake?"

He tapped the Joltik on the head, it stirred and yawned. Its four eyes opened, when it realized what it was looking at they shot open with horror, _"AHH!"_ it screamed.

Just as it tried to leap off of Ray, he wrapped his good arm around the Joltik and got it in a head lock, "Don't worry little buddy, we can all be friends!"

_"Please," _the Joltik pleaded, _"Let me go, I didn't mean to hurt anybody!"_

Ray turned the Joltik so it was facing Tesla, the old Pikachu looked at it in the eyes and asked, "So what were you doing underneath the couch?"

The Joltik's eyes widened, _"You can talk human!?"_

_ "What were you doing under the couch?" _Tesla asked again in Pokémon speech.

_"Sleeping, just sleeping! __It was a long day and I needed a place to rest!"_

_ "Who let you in?"_

_ "I came in on the big fellow's back, I was riding him since you guys were at that trench!"_

_ "Feeding off his electricity?"_

The Joltik hesitated, _"Y-Yes!"_

Tesla turned to Ray, "So that explains why you felt so calm yesterday."

"And the itch on my back," said Ray, "Can I keep him, Tesla? I always wanted a pet Joltik to play with!"

"If you agree to be his host," said Tesla, "And it also depends on how much electricity you can spare."

"I have a lot in storage," said Ray, "This little guy will max his reserves without much harm."

Tesla thought for a moment, "Okay, you can keep him. But there's only one question," he turned back to the Joltik and asked in Pokémon speech,_ "Do you have a trainer?"_

The Joltik nodded, _"Yes, his name's Ralph Hendrickson."_

_ "So why weren't you with him?"_

The Joltik shivered, Tesla could see the fear in his eyes, _"What happened?"_

The Joltik said nothing.

"Is it bad?" Tesla asked in human speech.

_"Yes," _said the Joltik, _"It was really bad, I don't know if I should go back."_

"What did he do to you?"

_"No, nothing wrong with him. It's something I did, something really bad!"_

"So what did you do?"

The Joltik stared at Tesla for a moment, then broke down in tears, _"My last host died, I'm not sure how but I think I killed him. He was really weak, I didn't give much thought until I felt how cold he was last morning."_

"Who was your last host?" Tesla asked.

The Joltik hesitated again, _"It was a Pikachu, a Dixierat. My master brought him in and locked him in a cage, he had me drain his electricity, probably to keep me occupied."_

The parasite let out another wave of tears, _"I don't know what's going on, I didn't know how he died! I was so tuned out of what was happening! I didn't mean to kill him!"_

As the Joltik cried himself out, Tesla turned to Pikachu, "I think we've just got lucky," he said, "This Joltik must be owned by a poacher."

Pikachu's eyes were filled with tears, getting ready to cry, "What's wrong, Pikachu?"

Pikachu wiped his eyes and shrugged, _"I don't know what to make of this."_

Tesla turned back to the Joltik, "Were there other Dixierats?" he asked.

The Joltik stopped crying for a moment, _"Yes, there's more. They're locked in a big cage in the center of the camp, just a stone's throw away from where my last host was locked up. The cage is coated with rubber to prevent them from shocking anybody, but they hadn't shocked anybody yet. The Dixierats just continued to chat as if everything was normal, that's why I didn't give much thought until I found my last host dead in his cage."_

"Who's Ralph," Tesla asked, "and who does he work for?"

_"I think he's in charge of several humans, all were part of this organization. I think it was called Team Rocket."_

The last words stung Tesla to the core, he took a step back and sat down, "The family curse," he muttered, "It's happening again, this time on a much bigger scale."

Pikachu growled, _"Team Rocket? Is there two weirdos and a Meowth with them?"_

The Joltik shook his head, _"I'm the only other Pokémon there, none of the poachers own Pokémon. Or none that I know of."_

Images of Tesla's parents and siblings flooded his mind for a split second, the old Pikachu got back up and asked, "Where's the camp?"

_"5 kilometers to the Northeast," _said the Joltik, _"Not far from that trench you guys were at."_

Tesla glared at him for a brief moment, "Take us to the camp, I would like to have a word with your trainer."

_"I-I don't know if he's still mad at me."_

"I won't let him harm you if he is, I don't think he cares at this moment since he must have a lot of things on his mind."

_"Uh, okay. I'll take you to him. Just don't let him hurt me if he's mad."_

"Had he ever hit you or anything?" Tesla asked.

_"No, he never harmed me or anything but he doesn't pay much attention to me either."_

Tesla felt the hangover fade instantly, "Ray," he said, "Let's wake up the others, we'd just caught ourselves a break."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	20. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 19_

When Ash and his friends reached the town, they head straight for the police station. They walked inside and saw the receptionist typing away on a manual typewriter. The computer he was using was off, its screen portraying nothing but blackness. Must had been fried by Tesla's EMP. Ash wondered what other electronics was broken.

"Excuse me," he asked the receptionist, "Is Officer Jenny here?"

The heavy clunks of characters slamming against a white page ceased, "Yes," said the receptionist, "She is. I'll go get here."

The receptionist slid the typewriter's cylinder back, it sounded like a cash register opening it's money drawer. He pulled the sheet of paper out of the typewriter and carried it to the back room, "Kind of unusual for him to use an antique." said Cilan.

"The EMP." Ash muttered.

He almost expected his Pikachu to make a comment but remembered he wasn't here, he was back at the bunker with Tesla. Ash was shocked to realize he'd forgotten about Pikachu, he wondered what his buddy was doing back at the bunker. Helping Tesla, perhaps? Who knows. One thing is clear though, Ash cared for Tesla as much as any other Pokémon, even if he doesn't act like one. All Pokémon deserves love and affection, and someone's gotta provide it.

When the receptionist returned, he sat back into his chair and stuck a blank sheet of paper into the typewriter. Officer Jenny came around and said, "Let's go outside."

The group followed Officer Jenny out the main entrance. Standing in front of the police station, Officer Jenny asked, "Do any of you have experience dealing with poachers?"

Everyone, including Axew, raised their hands.

"How about poachers with guns?"

Ash found himself the only one with his hand up, he sighed and lowered it.

"Nick Terrance has several guns in his house," Officer Jenny explained, "Most of which are unloaded and packed away in a closet or under his bed. The only gun I do know he has out and ready is his .38 Police Special. It's a six-shot revolver with horrible accuracy, anything within 4 and a half meters will drop dead. I'm not sure if he shot anything with it besides cans and bottles, let alone another living thing."

"So what do we do?" Ash asked.

"Go around back and try to find a way into his house while I cover the front door. If he's inside, you'll hear him. The walls of his house are remarkably hollow, anything rooted around inside will be loud as day."

"Would he have his gun on him?" Cilan asked.

"He would be paranoid, so probably yes. But I'll have mine out and ready. Now if he tries to bail out through the back, use whatever Pokémon you have and incapacitate him. Be fast to strike him, cause Nick would have his revolver out."

"Got it." Ash and his friends said in unison.

"Axew ew." Axew nodded.

Officer Jenny led the gang through Dixie, she navigated them through the back alleys, crossing through several streets. There were fewer people outside, but activity was much like yesterday. Several of the town folks started up campfires, then threw grills on top of them. They were boiling huge pots of water, dumping vegetables, beets, and potatoes in them. They added some spices and soy sauce, then let it sit and boil for a few minutes, "What are they making?" Cilan asked.

"Soup," said Officer Jenny, "Some throw-it-together kind, they'll add some meat to it to give it protein. Taste pretty good, even without salt."

"Yum." said Iris.

"They're willing to share, if you ask them. If we happen to find Nick somewhere out here, then that would make things easier for us, assuming he stays out long enough for us to poke around."

They approached the weathered house, the group jogged across the road and ducked beneath several bushes. Ash felt nervous. Going up against a guy with a loaded gun is a whole new ball game. If the Pokémon is armored, then that shouldn't be a problem. The only problem was that his armored Pokémon wasn't on his person right now. He could count on Snivy to disarm Nick with a quick Vine Whip, but if she gets shot . . . any injury she had received in the past would pale in comparison for what the bullet could do. Ash gulped, maybe he should have Snivy out and ready. Just in case.

"I'll go to the front," said Officer Jenny, "You go to the back, I'll give you guys 5 minutes to get into position before I make the first move."

"Roger." Cilan nodded.

As Officer Jenny crept to the front of the house, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out Snivy's Poké ball, then called her out. Snivy materialized before him, standing firm and awaiting orders, "Snivy," said Ash, "We're up against Nick Terrance, and he might have a gun in his hand. If he comes out of the house and there's a gun in his hand, use Vine Whip to quickly disarm him. Do it fast, without hesitation. Someone might get shot if you don't."

"Snivy." Snivy nodded in her emotionless expression. If the Grass Snake Pokémon was afraid, she wasn't showing it.

Ash and his friend hopped into the next door neighbor's yard and crept across the hedge fence. They took occasional glances over the hedge to make sure they weren't being watched. So far they hadn't seen anybody, just Officer Jenny getting ready to make her move. Snivy kept a steady pace by Ash, her legs seemingly skip across they grass as she hurried along. She looked up at Ash, her disciplined expression showed no signs of faltering. Snivy managed to make a small smile, yet there wasn't much heart into it. Ash wondered why Snivy hadn't asked to back down. To come to think of it, her expression reminded him of Tesla's...

_Are their pasts similar? _Ash thought.

Could be, but this wasn't the time to investigate. Right now, he's counting on Snivy to protect the group. If she attacks too late or too soon they all could get hurt, or worse . . . much worse.

"We're getting near Nick's back yard," Cilan whispered, "You're ready?"

"Yeah," said Ash, "You ready, Snivy?"

"Sniv!" she piped.

"Me and Axew are ready too!" Iris whispered.

"Ax!" Axew nodded.

"Okay," said Cilan, "Get ready to jump."

Cilan counted down from three with his fingers, when he got to one the group peaked over the hedge fence and peered into the back yard. It was a simple back yard. Just a young oak tree and a recently paved patio. On the patio was a metal fire pit. It was lit. Whoever started the fire had stared it recently, it looked like it was cooking something.

"Coast is clear." said Ash.

As the group climbed into the backyard, Ash gave a nod to Officer Jenny. She nodded back and proceed to the front door. The group approached the sliding glass door, the blinds were pulled back. They could clearly see inside, though there was no sign of Nick.

"Where is he?" Iris whispered.

"What are you guys doing!?"

The group spun around to find a man, dressed in casual wear, standing before them. Ash could see he had a gun, noticeably tucked under his belt. It looked like a .38 Police Special, but this man clearly wasn't Nick.

"What are you kids doing?" the man asked again, this time in a calmer tone.

Ash thought of an excuse, and thought it up quick, "We're looking for a Dixierat who took our breakfast," he said, "We saw it came through here, have you seen it?"

"No, I hadn't. If he was a clever little guy, he would still be around here somewhere. Watching us," then the man added, "Are you those people who showed up at the train station days earlier, only to get arrested by Officer Jenny for having a Pikachu?"

"Um, yes. We got that all cleared up now."

The man chuckled, "Well, that is quite obvious."

Ash glanced at the fire pit, then turned back to the man, "Did you start this fire?"

"Sure did," said the man, "Burning some rotting meat for a friend. Nervous little fella, he thinks the gov'ment's watching him so he have me do it."

The man glanced down at Snivy. She stood firm, ready to pounce at a moment's notice, "Now should you three be moving along?"

Before Ash could respond, a female Pikachu poked its head out of the hedge. It crept across the yard, the man didn't see it until it was right up against the fire pit, "Hey," he cried out, "Get out of here!"

The Dixierat dipped its mouth into the fire . . . and pulled out the roasted tail of a Pikachu.

Ash and his friends jumped back as the man drew his gun. The Dixierat made a bee-line for the forest in the back. Just as the man was lining up his sights, Snivy whipped out her Vine Whip in a split second. A single slap was enough for the man to drop the gun, but not before squeezing off a shot. The bullet whizzed over the Dixierat's head, missing her by a few centimeters, before plowing straight into the hedge fence.

"Hold it right there, Ernest!" Officer Jenny commanded as she rushed around the corner.

"Sh*t," Ernest swore under his breath, "You got nothing against me, Officer! The Dixierat ran off with it!"

"Tell that to the judge," barked Jenny. She grabbed Ernest's hands and cuffed them, "Assuming our Judge Job wanna hear it."

She then turned to Ash, "I'll take it from here. Meet be back at the station around noon. In the meantime, search this place. See if Nick's around."

"He's not here," Ernest grumbled, "He's outta town for the moment."

"Probably the last time he would ever leave town," said Officer Jenny. He pushed him along back to the street, the barrel of her gun pressing against his back, "But as for you, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to access an attorney. If you don't have access to a lawyer, one will be provided for you. Do you understand your rights?"

Ernest said nothing, he simply grumbled under his breath.

Just as Officer Jenny and Ernest were out of sight, the Dixierat came back. She ran over to the gun and sniffed it. The Pikachu stared at it for a moment, then picked it up with its mouth. It soon ran off back to the hedge fence, disappearing into the forest.

"Well that didn't go as planned." muttered Cilan.

Ash and Iris said nothing, they just stared in the burning campfire, watching the flames burn its fuel to charcoal.

**. . .**

Nick found his way to the bunker in question. Hiding in the bushes, he looked through a pair of binoculars to see if Doc was home. Hard to tell on the outside, Doc always takes his activities outdoors around this time of day. So if he wasn't home, it won't be long before he comes back.

But there was no way to be sure, unless he peeked through his windows.

Nick packed away the binoculars and rushed across the grassland, he hid behind the Tesla coil and peaked around the corner. Doc wasn't in his backyard, the shed doors was closed and locked. He crept up to the wall of the bunker and peaked through the kitchen window. There was nobody there he could see.

"Had to be sleeping," Nick thought aloud, "Or he's out in the woods being nilly-willy with the Dixierats."

Nick jogged around to the front, he approached the front door and checked to see if it was locked. It wasn't. Nick wasn't so surprised, since the back country has a zero-crime rate. But with the poachers around, should he be locking down his little fort?

_Unless he has nothing worth taking_. Nick thought.

He opened the door and stuck his head in, a blast of cool air hit him in the face, "Hello," he called out, "Doc, are you home?"

No answer.

"Andy?"

Still no answer.

"Okay," Nick told himself, "he isn't home."

He walked inside and shut the door behind him. Nick glanced at all the research Doc had done on the Dixierats, pictures, anatomy charts, a Pikachu skeleton. Yeah, Doc had done his research well. His fanatic obsession with the Dixierats ensured their survival.

_And a thorn to Hendrickson's side. _Nick thought.

Oh, what's this? Looks like Doc had collected a Pichu egg. Nick had collected a Pichu eggs before, they always smell bad and often covered with mud. But this egg was clean, neatly bundled in blankets. What does Doc planned to do with the Pichu egg anyway? Raise the Pichu that it contain? Make sense, why would it be here anyway?

_Might as well leave it alone, _Nick thought, _It ain't worth as much as the real prize._

Nick approached the door to the bedroom and opened it ajar, then peaked through. Doc wasn't in there either. The bathroom door was open, it too was empty.

_So nobody's home, _Nick thought, _I have the place to myself._

He pushed the door open and stepped inside, and saw the wall of guns. Nick froze, he stared at several long-barreled weapons laying on the floor. He recognized them as the same weapons Hendrickson provide for the poachers.

_So the rumors are true, _Nick thought, _Andy had been playing dirty._

Nick reached down and picked up a .12-gauge shotgun, he cocked the gun. It was oiled, probably a couple of days ago. Had Doc commandeered this gun recently?

Whatever the reason, Nick didn't wanna stick around and find out. He looked around for a box of shells. There it was, sitting on the nightstand. Nick grabbed the box and loaded shells into the chamber, he managed to get 8 shells till it stopped taking more. He tucked the box of shells into his coat pocket. Before he ran out of the bunker, something caught his eye. Two EMP grenades, sitting on the dresser. Nick grabbed the grenades and stuffed them in his coat, then ran out the front door.

Once he got to cover, Nick sat down against a tree. So Tesla wasn't there, where could he be? With Doc, perhaps. If that was the case, then that would complicate things. Doc's not that bad of a shot, he came from a community where guns are legal and heavily used. Not for violence. No, never for violence, unless Faraday Island was under a time of war.

Nick sat up and took a deep breath. Okay, Hendrickson told him to hunt down Tesla. So hunt he shall. Just where to start? The bunker's a dead end, should he wait till someone shows up that might lead him to the old Pikachu? Nick wasn't feeling lucky today, he doubt that the bunker would be empty all day and Tesla might not show up. But what if he _did_ show up, what then? Hold him at gun point? No, that would be foolish. Even with a finger on the trigger, Tesla's electricity would fry him before his finger would receive the signal from his brain to fire. There had to be another way...

He stood up and stretched his legs. Okay, so if Tesla's out here, where would he go? He doesn't even know the Pikachu besides the crap he saw from TV. What was Tesla's thinking? How does he function?

Just as Nick was about to sprain a lobe, he heard a faint human voice, "You sure we should trust this Joltik, Tesla?"

"I don't know," said another voice, "But clearly this Joltik doesn't wanna be a part of the Team Rocket operation."

Nick rushed towards the voices, then stopped. He ducked behind some bushes and watched as several Mice Pokémon walked by. Three Pikachus, a Raichu, and that . . . mutant thing, were following a Joltik. Nick peered closer, _Is that Ralph's Joltik?_

Yes, it was, he could tell the way it moved its tiny legs. Why wasn't he at camp, and what was he up to?

"So he just tagged along," said the Raichu, "not giving much of a second thought?"

"Yup," said the Pikachu with the goggles, "He ain't responsible for what happened."

Talking Pokémon, how is that possible?

Wait, goggles. The talking Pikachu was wearing goggles. Nick's eyes shot open, _That's gotta be Tesla! _

Wherever they were going, it looked like the Joltik was leading them back to the poacher camp. How convenient, yet ridiculous. Accomplishing an objective just a stone's throw away from camp was unheard of. But it can be done, all Nick had to do was follow the Mice Pokémon till they were at the camp, then make his move. Assuming he could pull it off without them sniffing him out.

_If I lose them, _Nick thought, _I might not be able to find them again, or they would be next to impossible to nab. I gotta make this count, I gotta!_

Nick gave some distance from the Mice Pokémon, once they were about 50 to 60 meters apart he began to follow them. Slowly and out of sight. Hopefully he wasn't upwind.

**. . .**

"So what are we gonna do once we find the camp?" asked Bruiser.

"We're gonna have a little talk with Ralph," said Tesla, he gave Bruiser a wink, "That is the plan."

Bruiser nodded, "What if we find any trapped Dixierats?"

"Then we have Ray bust them out," said Tesla, "I'm sure that Ray has serious muscle to pry open bars."

"I indeed do," said Ray, "Well, in my good arm at least. My nub's more good for quick reflexes."

"How about we attach tool on it, a hammer or a pick or something."

"Good idea, except I'm not much of a carpenter or a miner. But I'm not that bad of a digger," Ray held up his stub, "A trowel would go nicely on my arm."

"What are you gonna dig?" Bruiser asked.

"Probably new burrows," said Ray, "Once we _persuade _the poachers to pack up and leave, there's going to be an explosion of Dixierats, and all those Dixierats are going to need new homes."

"Now that may be a problem," said Tesla, "If the population goes unchecked, the Dixierats would spill out of Dixie and move on to other human settlements. Eventually the secret would be exposed and people, most of whom had never seen a Mouse Pokémon before, would go bananas."

"I like bananas," said Bruiser, "Tastes better with ketchup. It's been a while since I last had ketchup banana."

Tesla glanced at the Joltik's rear, the Attaching Pokémon waddled along, all giggly and happy. Then it dawned on him, "Well sh*t," he said, "We'd forgotten about something."

"What is it, Tesla?" Bruiser asked.

"If the Dixierat population no longer has any predators to worry about, the population _will _explode, and the town can't feed them all."

"That is something we hadn't anticipated," said Ray, sounding logical, "they like to mate you know."

"Mating more than breeding," said Tesla, "I could ask Doc if he could get a hold of some condoms or spermicide, something that would help dampen the Dixierat numbers to avoid unplanned egg laying."

"We could always gather up the Pichu eggs and ship them off to Pokémon labs." said Bruiser.

"Do that, and we be damning those Pichus to a life of being lab rats."

Tesla glanced at his son, the elder Dixierat continued to hobble along, limping with every step, "You okay there, son?" he asked.

_"I'm fine, Dad," _said the elder Pikachu, _"My joints ain't as flexible as they used to be."_

"I hear you," then Tesla asked, "You think you're going to need someone to carry you?"

_"Only when things get rough."_

"Which things will," said Ray, "I'll carry him, Grandpa, don't you worry."

_I don't think he's the only fella for you to worry about. _Tesla thought, but didn't say.

As the Mice Pokémon continued to walk along, Ash's Pikachu occasionally glance over his shoulder. After just a few minutes, he finally say, _"I think someone's following us."_

"Probably other Dixierats." said Bruiser.

_"No, I mean, something other than Dixierats is following us."_

"How can you tell?" Tesla asked.

_"I just can, there's something back there, keeping its distance."_

"Gotta be Mark or Doc then," said Tesla, "Trying to play games on us."

Tesla turn around and called out, "If you there, Mark, you better cut it out! I'm through playing games with you!"

**. . .**

_Mark, _Nick thought, _Who's Mark? Oh sh*t!_

So the Dixierats do sense him, their instincts must be that sharp. Nick wondered if he was getting a little too close to them, if he was, he better back off. They can sense him, but they don't know who he was. Nick got down and held his breath, then waited.

**. . .**

The Mice Pokémon listened for any signs of moment. Nothing, not even the wind was moving.

"Things must be getting calm," said Tesla, "It's gotta be that thunderstorm, it's almost here."

"We could use it to our advantage." suggested Ray.

"Before we go any further, we gotta know where we could take shelter in case the storm gets to hurricane-force winds. I do not wish to get sucked up by a tornado and spat out in another dimension."

"That happens?" Ray asked.

"I heard it does," said Tesla, "I can tell you it might not be Candy Land at the other end."

Everybody said nothing, they just slightly turned away.

"Were you guys expecting Candy Land."

Bruiser and Ray nodded yes, "Sometimes I dreamed of diving in a chocolate pond." Ray muttered.

"Don't we all?" asked Bruiser.

Bruiser and Ray chuckled, Tesla just rolled his eyes.

**. . .**

Once the Dixierats started moving again, Nick gave them more space before he follow them. He clenched the shotgun with an iron grip, then cocked a .12-gauge shell into the chamber.

**. . .**

Doc pressed his fingers against the tire impression. Mark sat beside him, his Emolga and Pikachu sitting comfortably on his shoulders, "So what is it, Doc?" Mark asked.

"A truck's been through here," he said, "A big one to the looks, but not recently. The mud's a little dry, disturbed from the tire. Whoever was driving, was driving a little too fast."

"Emo." Emolga mumbled.

Doc and Mark stood up, "It looks like he was driving that way, cause the treads are pointed in that direction."

"You sure, Doc?" Mark asked.

Doc shrugged, "I have no idea."

Mark glanced at his Emolga, the Sky Squirrel looked at him with uncertainty on her face. Peering closely, he noticed that one of Emolga's eyes weren't lined up properly. The pupil slid off to the side instead of pointing straight on. Emolga winked at him, though her face remained unchanged, _Inbred, _Mark thought, _Poor thing._

"Emo?" Emolga asked him.

Mark reached up and rubbed her big ear, "You're a pretty thing, you know that?"

Emolga blushed as she smiled, "Eeem."

As Mark and Doc walked along the steep hill, they scanned the forest floor for signs of human activity. Any vegetation that was disturbed or seemed disturbed was noted. Yes, it could be Pokémon who overturned that rock or kicked up some dead leaves as it passed by. But humans leave a unique signature. A careless one would leave behind garbage where he or she was resting, or hacked apart some trees. Maybe there's a fire pit around the corner that one had failed to fill in. Mark felt his military school lessons kick in, or training. He wasn't sure if military school was the same as military training.

_Maybe close enough, _Mark thought, _Maybe I should enlist in the army, __I have the background and the nerve to handle combat..._

Mark's thoughts drifted off when his Pikachu rested her head against his ear. He let out an inaudible sigh, _Then who would watch my Pokémon? I can't take them with me and my Dad sure won't watch them, maybe Grandpa would watch them while I'm gone . . . But they're still going to be lonely._

He wondered if what he was doing would be close enough to human conflict as it would get. Two guys armed with a shotgun and a pistol up against an army of poachers. The goal was to figure out where they were, not to raid and pillage their camp. As fun as that would be, Mark preferred not to get shot up out in the wilderness. He had Pokémon to worry about.

"I think I see something up ahead," said Doc, "Looks like someone left it there recently."

"Left what there?" Mark asked.

"Emo?" Emolga added.

Doc pointed up ahead, "See for yourself."

Up ahead, they saw what looked like a flat bed truck. Its rear was sticking up while its nose had dove straight into a thick tree. The front wheels were suspended a foot above the ground, the treads caked with mud. Mark got down the trench and slid down to the driver side door, then jumped up on the foot rail. He hanged on to the windshield as he peered through the window, "What do you see?" Doc asked from above.

"There's dried blood on the steering wheel," said Mark, "I'm not sure this truck had an airbag installed. Whoever was driving this must have smashed his face into the steering wheel."

"Is it locked?"

Mark stood on his toes and checked, "It doesn't look like it."

He scooted aside on the rail and grabbed the door handle. Before he opened it, he turned to his Pokémon, "Emolga, Pikachu, could you please jump off for a sec and climb up back to Doc? I don't want you to be in the cab with me."

"Eem." Emolga whined.

"Pika." Pikachu whined as well.

Without further argument, they jumped off of Mark's shoulder and climbed into the back of the flat bed truck. They made their way up the hill and jumped down from the back. When Mark saw them huddling by Doc's legs, he nodded, "I'm gonna check to see if there's any documents inside the glove compartment. If this truck gives way and start rolling down the hill, hang on to my Pokémon and wait till it settles. Okay?"

"Got it." said Doc.

Mark grabbed the door handle, and opened it. The door let out a rusted squeal as it open, "Smells like rust mixed with decaying nut-meg in here." Mark thought aloud as he climbed into the driver's seat.

He had some familiarity with heavy trucks, especially old ones. When Mark was 12, he climbed into the driver's seat of a delivery truck at his hometown's grocery store and fiddled with the controls. He accidentally put the truck in neutral and it rolled across the store's parking lot and slammed into the brick wall. He didn't wanna make that same mistake. Mark checked the gear, it was still in drive. He pressed on the break and shifted it to park. He also located the emergency break and engaged it, just to be sure.

Mark then scooted across the bench seat and opened up the glove compartment, inside he found a loaded 9mm handgun along with a box of ammo. He pulled it out and pulled out the magazine, 16 rounds in the clip. Mark stuck the magazine and stuck it into his pocket, then pulled the chamber open. It ejected a fresh round and it went clattering onto the floor, Mark reached down to pick it up.

Just when he grabbed the bullet, the truck groaned. He froze, Mark held his breath and listened. Nothing, "You okay, Mark!?" Doc called out.

"I'm fine," said Mark, "Is the coast still clear up there!?"

"Still clear!"

"Keep your eyes open, I'm almost done!"

Mark sat up and opened the box of ammo, it was a quarter full. Someone must had used this for target practicing or something. He stuck the bullet into the box and closed it up, then tucked the gun under his belt. Clutching the ammo box in his hand, he scooted across the bench seat and stepped back on the foot rail. He braced himself and jumped off. The truck groaned a second time, this time the tree holding it up cracked.

"You found anything?" Doc asked as Mark climbed back up the hill.

"Just this Glock with some ammo," said Mark, "No documents that I can find, this truck's definitely belongs to the poachers."

"This truck must have veered off the road," said Doc, "The tire marks suggest it was trying to swerve around something."

"Like what?"

"That question I cannot answer."

Mark looked down the trail where the truck had came from, "Then the answer's gotta be that way."

Just when Mark took a step, his foot pressed on something soft. He looked down and noticed something caked in mud, _A muddy towel or something? _Mark thought.

He pulled his foot off and crouched, "What is it?" Doc asked.

"Em?" Emolga added.

"Pika?" so did Pikachu.

"I don't know," Mark replied as dug into the mud.

Whatever it was, it looked like it was smashed into the ground. Mark pulled the dead leaves aside and grabbed the object, then pulled at it. The mud broke away as the object came up, Mark's eyes bulged. It was a disembodied lightning bolt tail from a Pikachu.

"Holy sh*t." said Doc.

Pikachu gasped as Emolga stared in horror.

The tail lost all trace of its yellow fur from its time in the mud. It was bent in the middle, as if someone stepped on it. The area where the tail used to connect to its owner was black, covered in a thick layer of mud. Mark dropped it on the ground and sat up, "I think we know what the guy was trying to avoid, he swerved in trying to avoid a Pikachu, but end up running it over," then Mark added, "So where's the body?"

Doc just stared at him, his face frozen in a passive expression. Mark looked down at his Pikachu. Her hands were covering her mouth as her body shivered. Mark reached down and picked her up, then cradled her in his arms, "There there, Pikachu," he said, "It's alright, it's going to be over soon."

Pikachu looked up at him and nodded, then pressed her face against his chest. She stopped shivering and breathed, "Chu." she muttered.

**. . .**

Ash and his friends spent time in the local diner. Though it had no power, the diner got enough light from the cracked windows and a few electric lanterns provide the rest. The stoves ran on propane, so food can be cooked. However the vents that blow out the fumes ran on electricity and won't work, so food wasn't being served today.

That doesn't stop people from coming in, the diner provided more than just food. It was a usual hangout spot for the locals. Ash stared at the wall and listened to several conversations as people talk around him. He kept hearing the same words in all of them: Power, energy, thunderstorm, and several swear words he didn't wanna repeat. Ash heard nothing about the Dixierats or any of the Mouse Pokémon variants. Like they were never here at all. Well, Mice Pokémon are only native to Kanto. They exists nowhere else. Not even in Unova.

"You okay, Ash?" Cilan asked.

Ash hadn't said a word since Officer Jenny made that arrest. For some reason, he didn't feel like talking, or doing anything. There were times when he had to spend some time without Pikachu, but this was one time where he truly wished he was with him right now. Ash glanced at Cilan, he took a moment before answering, "I'm sorry, guys."

"For what, Ash?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked.

"For bring you guys here, I don't know what came over me."

"We went over this before, Ash." said Cilan.

"But now it escalated, and I don't know what to do. I don't wanna know what that fire pit was burning, I don't even wanna think about it. Yet I can't get that Pikachu tail out of my head," Ash thought for a moment, then asked, "Just why did that Pikachu grabbed it out of the fire?"

Iris and Cilan just looked at him, Axew simply shrugged. Before Ash could ask again, he heard someone tap on the window. When he turned, he almost jumped. It was a female Pikachu, she had a Pichu on her head and another by her side. All three Mice Pokémon were smiling at him, they hang on the window's edge for a moment before jumping off and running away.

"Well that was random," said Cilan, "So the Dixierats are coming out back into town after all."

"Pikachu!"

Ash looked down, and saw the female Pikachu standing before him. Her two Pichus stood by her side, still smiling, "Oh," said Ash, "It's you."

Several patrons looked on, some with curiosity. Others looked annoyed, they glared at the Dixierats for a moment before resuming their conversations. The female Dixierat was holding something in her hands. Ash peered closer. It was a notepad and a mechanical pencil. The Dixierat jumped up on the seat and wrote something on the pad, then showed it to Ash. Written in neat cursive letters was a single word, _"Hello."_

Ash was taken by complete surprise, he jumped the moment he saw those written words, "You can write!?"

"Pi." the Pikachu nodded, she then erased the word and wrote something down. Then showed it to Ash, _"Ray taught me, said it would help me __talk__ better with humans."_

Ash thought for a moment. This was a surprise, he hadn't met a Pokémon who could write before. "A Pokémon who can write?" Cilan asked.

"Wow!" Iris exclaimed.

"Axew!" Axew added.

Ash took a moment to figure out what to ask her, "Were you that same Pikachu back behind Nick's house?"

"Pi." the Dixierat nodded, she then wrote down, _"__That man was a poacher, yet he was the least of my concerns. I have babies to feed."_

A sick feeling settle in the pit of his stomach, "So that's why you snatch the tail?" Ash asked.

The Pikachu tore out the page and written on the back of it, _"It was a free meal, why you ask?"_

"Cause that used to be a Pikachu, something alive..."

Ash drifted off and glanced at the Pichus, he could see their smiles dropping, but their eyes remained remained glazed with pride. The Pikachu wrote something on the sheet of paper and showed it to Ash, _"I know, I saw them get poached myself. They gave them to Nick to stash in a freezer, but he doesn't want to. Those Pikachus and Pichus Ernest was burning: Those were my brothers and nephews."_

"Why did you do it then?" Ash asked.

The Pikachu frowned, then wrote something on the paper, _"Cycle of life."_

"You mean _circle?_"

The Pikachu thought for a moment, then nodded, "Pika."

She crumbled up the paper and wrote on the notepad, she took a little bit longer this time, _"They're gone, and they're not coming back. I have babies to feed and the tail's protein. Dixierats take care of each other, even when they're dead."_

That last part was a little blunt, Ash sat back in the seat and stared up at the ceiling, _What is Tesla not telling me? _

With that thought in mind, Ash then asked the Pikachu, "You're not just here for food, are you?"

The Dixierat wrote something on the notepad, she took a minute to get her message on paper before showing it to Ash, _"I know you're trying to help us against the poachers. Word travels fast. __You don't need to get rid of the poachers to show your affection for us, just your presence alone helps brighten our world."_

Cilan and Iris looked at the other messages the Pikachu wrote, they glanced at each other for a second then asked the Pikachu, "Do you know what the other Dixierats are doing?"

The female Pikachu tore out another sheet out of her notepad and wrote on its back, _"They're sick from the EMP, but they are in good spirits. There's a thunderstorm rising from the west, and its almost here."_

"So they're okay?" Iris asked worriedly.

The Dixierat nodded, "Pi!", she wrote a brief message down and showed it to Cilan, _"The Dixierat who bit you regrets it, he asked several of his cousins to see if they could tell you that he's sorry. I __am__ one of those cousins."_

Cilan smiled, "It's alright, tell him I got his message and I'm not mad. Just the spur of the moment."

The Dixierat giggled, then wrote a final message, _"Wanna hold my babies?"_

Mothers won't let strangers hold their children, especially Pokémon. Since this Dixierat ask them to hold her Pichus, that sends a message that this Pikachu wants to be on good terms with them. Ash glanced at the Pichus again, both were smiling their biggest smile, "If it's alright with them." he said.

As if they know what their mother had asked them, they both leaped up on the bench seat and jumped up on Ash. Giggling and laughing while snuggling into his clothes. Ash couldn't help but laugh, Cilan and Iris chuckled, "They like you, Ash." said Iris.

At that moment, thunder cracked in the far distance. Ash looked out the window and saw a dark gray band across the horizon. The Pichus stopped giggling and stared out the window, they both glance at each other then cheered. Their mother wrote down on the notepad, _"Once the storm's here, the Dixierats are going to have some fun."_

"It's going to be a _severe _thunderstorm." said Cilan.

The Dixierat then added, _"That's what makes it fun."_

**. . .**

_"__Okay guys," _said the Joltik, _"We're almost there!"_

Tesla reached out and squeezed Ash's Pikachu's arm, "Whatever happens Pikachu, don't scream. You'll attract attention to yourself and it would be the end of you."

Ash's Pikachu nodded, _"Okay."_

The group crouched onto their bellies and crawled up a small hill, then peaked over the edge, "Holy sh*t," whispered Ray, "We're in the belly of the beast."

A sea of tents, folding tables, and kerosine lanterns filled the clearing. Guns, traps, and bait covered whatever smooth surface available. Several poachers stroll around. Many looked bored, others were worried. They spoke nervously to each other, like they had a feeling something was about to happen.

_"Team Rocket poacher camps never change," _Tesla muttered in Pokémon speech, _"This place reeks with greed and fear, we're inferior here."_

The Joltik turned to him, _"I never thought of it that way before, yet I always felt it some way or another."_

"Where's the cages, Joltik?" Tesla whispered to him with human words.

_"Like I said, center of the camp. You'll know once you start hearing Dixierats."_

"Should we risk sneaking in?" Ray asked.

"No," said Tesla, "We're just here to know the location, not here to pilfer."

**. . .**

_There he is, _Nick thought, _Just 5 meters away._

Nick crouched, his shotgun out and ready. They sat between him and his comrades. A million ideas went through Nick's head, and he tried to pick out the best one that doesn't involve him getting electrocuted. His heart raced, Nick had to do something. If one of them turned and glance at him, he'd be a dead man. Just how much time does he need to get his buddies to move in?

_Just a few seconds, _Nick thought, _only a few._

He watched the Mice Pokémon sit there for some time, they muttered back and forth, figuring out what to do next. Nick realized if they leave, they would be back in greater numbers. And _that _was something Ralph don't need. He had to do something, but what?

That was when he remembered the EMP grenades he took back at the bunker, Nick fished one of them out and held it up. _All the electronics are fried, _Nick thought, _So why not?_

He only needed a few seconds, he'd better make it count. Nick grabbed the pin and pulled it...

**. . .**

Tesla heard the click of the pin being pulled, he'd only had enough time spin around. The EMP grenade dropped at his feet and burst. Many things started happening all at once. His vision cleared, he heard his son scream. He caught a glimpse of Ray pulling Bruiser up to his feet, Ray said something before bailing out into the woods. Tesla blinked, his cheeks screamed in pain but the headache was even worse. Before he could call out to Ash's Pikachu, he saw a man raise the butt of a shotgun. It connected to his forehead, then the world blacked out.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	21. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Chapter 20_

None came, it was time for Ash and his friends to head over to the police station. The Dixierat with the notepad and two Pichus insisted on following them. Ash didn't give much resistance. He missed his own Pikachu, and it was great to have one following him. As they walked along the sidewalk, she kept close to Ash. Her Pichus cooed and sang under their breaths as they huddle close to their mother. Axew jumped down and walked beside the Dixierat. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and the Tusk Pokémon blushed. They exchanged words until they were at the station, Axew jumped back on Iris's shoulder and snuggled into her hair. The Dixierats remained silent as they walked in.

"Officer Jenny?" Ash called out.

Officer Jenny arrived within moments, "You found anything at the house?"

"The fire pits full of . . ." Ash couldn't bring himself to finish, he just held his head low and sighed.

"I understand," said Officer Jenny, "That would be all the evidence I need to convict Ernest _and _Nick, but I need Nick himself. So where-"

She looked down and saw the Dixierats by Ash's feet, the female Pikachu and her Pichus hid behind Ash in fear of a nasty tantrum, "They just started following us," Ash explained, "I told them I didn't mind."

"Pika!" the Dixierat cooed.

Officer Jenny turned her attention back to Ash, "They're a handful, but then again, they are that adorable. However, they have reached that limit a long time ago," then she added, "You do realize that once the poachers are out of the equation, there's no one to keep the Dixierat population in check. There's no natural predators here, Ash. Do you know what this means?"

"They'll multiply like crazy?" Cilan asked.

"Exactly, and when they start moving on to other pastures. It's over, the secret gets out and this town would be jam packed with tourists. They won't be here for sight-seeing the Dixierats, they'll pick them up and take them home. Eventually an ungodly of _independent _poachers would show up and finish off what remains. Sure a few might escape, but their numbers would be so few that the population won't recover. The Dixierats would be gone by the time you guys are around middle-age."

Ash gulped, "That is not a good thought."

"Which is why I never bothered tracking down the poachers," said Jenny, "The Dixierats are on a double-edged sword. Either we stop the poachers or let them finish them off, they'll meet their demise either way."

The room went silent. Ash glanced down at the Dixierats. They looked up with him with sad eyes, then held their heads low.

"But," Officer Jenny added, "I'm sure that Doc has a solution for this, he works in making the Dixierats' lives comfortable after all."

"Do you know what it is?" Ash asked.

Officer Jenny frowned, "I'll tell you when you're older."

_I wish I was older. _Ash thought but didn't say.

Thunder rumbled from above, Ash looked out the window and saw the sky had become gray, _The storm, _he thought.

Officer Jenny looked out the window, "Oh boy," she said, "It's going to be a rough night."

They stood there for a moment, watching as the clouds swirled above. Ash swore he saw a few drops of rain, but he wasn't so sure. He then turned to Officer Jenny and asked, "What did you get out of Ernest?" Ash asked.

"He says Nick is trying to hunt down Tesla," said Officer Jenny, "But the only problem is that he had no idea where he is, right now Nick's somewhere out in the forest as the storm's arriving. It will flush him out, and I'll make the arrest once he shows his face."

_Tesla's at Doc's house, _Ash thought, _with Pikachu..._

"Oh no." Ash muttered.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew asked.

Ash didn't say anything, he just shoved the entrance door open and took off running down the street, "Ash," cried Cilan as he and Iris came running after him, "Wait up!"

**. . .**

Officer Jenny watched as Ash's friends ran off after him, the Dixierats following close behind. She watch them ran onto Doc's dirt road and disappear into the forest, Officer Jenny cringed, "This isn't going to end well." she said to no one in particular.

She stood there for a moment staring at the dirt road, then sighed, "F*ck it." she swore.

Officer Jenny stepped out of the police station and started following the outsiders. She didn't need to run, she knows exactly where they were going.

**. . .**

"So you tracked him down all the way to our base," Ralph says to Nick, "_then _you nabbed him?"

"Yes sir," said Nick, "That's how it happened."

Ralph held up the unconscious Tesla Westinghouse. Nick held his breath as he watched his boss examine the Pikachu, "He didn't see it coming?" Ralph asked.

"Saw it too late, sir."

The Joltik hugged Ralph's leg closely, as if begging for forgiveness. Ralph took no notice of his little Pokémon, instead he opened up the tiny cage and shoved the old Pikachu inside. Just to be sure the old Pikachu wouldn't do any harm, he pulled off the Pikachu's goggles. Hendrickson peered through them, getting a sense of Tesla's vision, "This rat's more blind than a bat," Ralph chuckled, "We can use this to our favor."

Ralph walked up to Nick, "Hold out your hand, boy."

Nick complied, and Ralph placed the goggles in the palm of his hand, "Here's part of the bonus for nabbing the old fart, you earned it."

"Thank you, sir," Nick pocketed the goggles, then asked, "So what are we going to do with him, sir? He's a retired member of Team Rocket, and he won't cooperate with us."

"No," said Hendrickson, "He won't, not even if we hold a gun to his head. If I could somehow contact HQ, I might get instructions from them. For now, Tesla will stay in that cage no matter what."

_I hate this job_, Nick told himself, _I gotta get out of here._

He could pack up his stuff and bail out now, while he has the chance. Nick looked up at the sky and saw how dark it was. Thunder boomed in the distance, its echo was deep and the ground trembled, an ominous warning of a _severe _thunderstorm, _Okay, _he thought, _Maybe now's not the time to bail out._

Of course not, he wouldn't beat the storm and he knows it. Nick turned back to Ralph, he held his Joltik as he petted his head. The Attaching Pokémon purred with affection from its master, "Here," said Ralph, "This host has nearly unlimited electricity."

"Jolt!" the Joltik happily cheered, it leaped of Ralph's hand and landed on the cage. It then squeezed through the bars and landed on top of Tesla's back where it braced itself.

Mr. Hendrickson turned to Nick, "Now what about the other two Pikachus you caught with Tesla?"

"One of them was pretty mangled up beforehand," said Nick, "He gave no resistance. The healthier one was in deep shock, either from the EMP or from me knocking out Tesla. I don't know which. What is certain that this Pikachu also gave no resistance. It was easy to nab them."

Ralph thought for a moment, "Now it might be a concern that the other two rodents with them might still be out there, watching us. If they do dare set foot in our camp, you have my permission to shoot to kill."

"What about the behemoth Mouse Pokémon," Nick asked, "The Rikachu?"

Ralph waved a dismissing hand, "The Rikachu's a sterile monstrosity, utterly useless. He isn't as valuable as our original right here."

He set his hand on the cage, Nick watched as the Joltik groomed Tesla's back, picking out dandruff and loose fur, "We'll get ready to move out once the storm's passed," said Ralph, "You get hunkered down somewhere and get ready to wait it out, I heard this storm's going to drop tornadoes."

"The ditch, sir?" Nick asked.

"Yes, the ditch. Just watch out for widow-makers when the wind blows, assuming you're married."

Nick stared in confusion at Ralph, then Ralph laughed, "It's a joke, Nick, laugh with me."

"Oh." Nick managed to let out a laugh, though it had no pleasure in it.

**. . .**

Bruiser let out another hurl, Ray patted his back, "Let it out, coz," he said, "Let it out."

"I feel like I'm gonna be sick," Bruiser mumbled, he vomit again and coughed, "Ugh, help me, Ray."

"Is there anything you need?"

"A doctor, and Pepto-Bismol, or something," Bruiser stretched out his arms and legs, getting ready for another vomit, "Is that what an EMP feels like?"

"You've should have felt the one Tesla unleashed, that's 10 times more powerful than what you'd felt."

"You said you blacked out."

"I did, because it was so strong, but I came out alright."

"Because you being you."

Ray chuckled, "You can say that again."

Bruiser stood up and sat against a tree, he rubbed his belly and pressed a yellow cheek, "I gotta go back to the bunker, I can't be out here any longer."

"Bruiser," Ray insisted, "The poacher's got Tesla, our uncle, and the pure-blood. We gotta break them out."

The Raichu broke down in tears, "I want to but I can't, I don't know from my right and left!"

Ray grabbed Bruiser's head and looked straight into his eyes, "Look at me," he said, their noses centimeters apart, "We're on the verge of wiping the poachers' vile plague clean out of Dixie, we can't back out now. We've gotta get back in there and rescue our family, _our _family. Cause family's important, cause without them we have nothing to care for!"

Ray wiped away a tear off of Bruiser's face with his thumb, then said, "Cousin, I swear on Irvin's grave that this EMP sickness would be the last suffering you feel from the poachers, _the__e _last. We can do this, Bruiser! We can do this!"

The Raichu sighed, then looked up at the sky, "Even if we get rid of the poachers, I don't wanna go back to eating garbage. I want a roof over my head and a warm bed, with a nice shower to wash my fur. Now if, and only _if_, we get rid of the poachers, can we salvage what they left behind to dig out new burrows?"

"Better insulation for the winter," said Ray, "If they leave some cars behind, we can use those as homes."

"The trunk at least, I don't wanna sleep in the cab."

"Maybe they have a good supply of yummy food, all fresh and packed in tin cans."

Bruiser gripped his belly, "I don't think I could eat for a few days."

"Maybe they do have Pepto-Bismol, stashed away next to the food. I'll be sure I'll get you a bottle to make your belly feel better."

"I'll feel better if I sleep in something warm for the winter," said Bruiser, he then pushed Ray aside and got up, "Just how can we rescue our family without getting shot?"

Ray pointed up at the sky, "We can tickle the storm."

Bruiser looked up, the skies above were swirling with angry clouds, some of which were turning green, "How's that going to work?"

"More lightning and thunder," said Ray, "Like in the movies!"

"And what would that do?"

"Get the poachers on edge, of course."

"But it won't be no more lethal than a natural storm, we need Tesla if we're gonna supercharge this supercell."

Ray nodded, "But first we gotta find Tesla, I gotta feeling they have a special cage made just for him."

"Center of the camp," Bruiser asked, "Just as the Joltik said?"

"Uh huh, the center, and it's a good spot to concentrate the storm too."

**. . .**

There was nothing special about the cage, except that multiple Pikachus had died in it. Tesla could feel their deaths, their pain, but it had no meaning to it. There was something about the cage that demoralize the regular Pokémon, something mediocre, like out of a horror's story.

When the old Pikachu opened his eyes, he could barely make out the rubberized bars in front of him. Tesla moaned, his head throbbed in a relentless bombardment of pain. He had suffered hard whacks before, but few ever made it home. This blow did, it felt like he slammed into the Dixieland welcome sign again.

Tesla felt his head and looked at his hand, it was a blurry red blob. The gash had ruptured again, but that was the least of his concerns, _Where's my goggles? _He asked himself.

He realized the poachers had taken them. Figures. Tesla just laid there, without his goggles he couldn't do anything without smashing his face into things. He closed his eyes, trying to keep calm. But he couldn't pull up much courage. Ash's Pikachu and the elder Dixierat wasn't around, and he had no interest in calling for them. He didn't wanna attract more attention from the poachers anymore than he had to.

Tesla grabbed his ears and sighed, normally he would feel pissed from being trapped, but he couldn't work up much hate. Instead, he felt depressed, much like Bruiser when he evolved into a Raichu. The world seemed like it was over for him. Tesla didn't mind, he always wanted to give in. Just give up for once. He was old and was very tired of survival.

_Besides_, he thought, _It's nap time._

Just as he rolled on his back, he felt something detach, _"Tesla," _a voice whispered, _"It's me, Joltik!"_

Tesla looked up and saw the Attaching Pokémon crawl up on his side, _"They got the others, but I think Ray and Bruiser got away."_

The old Pikachu gazed at the blurry orange image for a moment, _"Joltik," _he whispered in his Pikachu language, _"You gotta get my goggles, I can't see without them. Can you squeeze through these bars."_

_ "Yes I can," _said the Joltik, _"But the cage's unlocked anyway."_

_ "Find my goggles, Joltik. Please, I beg of you."_

Tesla was surprised of how urgent he sound, the Joltik crawled up the tiny cage and crept up to the top, _"Don't worry, Tesla," _said the Joltik, _"I know where your goggles is, I'll get them for you."_

_ "Hurry." _Tesla pleaded.

He watched the faint blob disappear into the background, Tesla then rested on his side and groaned, "I can't see sh*t."

**. . .**

Just only 15 meters away sat the rubberized cage of Mice Pokémon. Most of whom were Pikachus, with them were a handful of Raichus and Pikachus. All variants chat among themselves like nothing was going on, they were loud and obnoxious. Ash's Pikachu resist the urge to rip off his ears as a couple dozen yammering voices made their assault. After a few minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. He tried calling out to the Dixierats but his voice was drowned out by the crowd. One Pikachu kept backing up into him, its tail keep getting into his face. Every time Pikachu shoves it away, it comes right back. The Dixierat then started backing up into him until its back was pressing against his chest.

Pikachu pressed his head against the Dixierat's back and gave it a hard shove, it toppled over face first on the bottom of the cage. It's rear came up, before Pikachu could get away the Dixierat blew out a ripping fart. He coughed and back away, bumping into another Dixierat.

_"Easy there, buddy," _the Dixierat politely says, _"you almost stepped on my tail."_

_ "Sorry!" _cried Pikachu.

He turned and saw a Dixierat biting against the rubber of the cage, it was trying to dig into it. Pikachu reached up and touched its shoulder, _"It's no use, there's no way out."_

The Dixierat turned to him, a smile stretching across his face, _"This rubber feels nice, it even taste nice. I wish I have a chew toy with this kind of rubber!"_

Pikachu raise an eyebrow, _"What?" _

The Dixierat went back to chewing the bar. Seeing that it had a mouthful at the moment, Pikachu turned away, _"Youngin," _he heard a familiar voice, _"Over here!"_

Pikachu turned towards the voice, he saw a Pikachu missing an eye waving a stump of what's left of his hand, _"Elder!" _Pikachu cried.

He jumped up and climbed over the Dixierats. They didn't seem to mind as he stepped over their heads, trampling on their ears as he made his way towards the elder Pikachu, _"There you are," _said the elder Pikachu, _"I knew it was you by the worried look on your face, are you alright?"_

_ "What's going on?" _Pikachu asked.

_"We're stuck," _said the elder Pikachu, _"That's what's going on. The Dixierats aren't bothering to break out because they know they can't get out of a cage like this here cage is built in solid titanium coated with 10 milliliters of Sulfur-impregnated rubber, no way Iron Tail's going to break through that."_

_ "How come the Dixierats aren't panicking?" _Pikachu asked.

_"Cause the poachers' been feeding them, keeps them calm and manageable. Strangely they don't complain about going to the bathroom or any other comfort."_

The elder Pikachu pointed to the edge of the cage, _"And we got our water supply taken care of."_

A Dixierat drank out of a metal straw leading up to a water bottle, the water bottle was mounted on the cage with wire and sealed in place with rubber. There was a lid on top for when the water bottle needed refilling. The Dixierat tried biting the metal straw for a moment, then pulled away and rejoined his friends, _"You thirsty?" _the elder Pikachu asked.

Pikachu glanced at the water, it was brown and wood chips was floating at the top, _"I don't think I wanna drink that."_

At that moment, a man came walking up to the cage. He wore a tan-colored suit that covered every part of his body. His gloves and boots glaze under the faint morning light, each step he made seem to shook the earth as if he was a giant. His mask looked like a regular gas mask, the port holes for his eyes seem to shine red as he got closer. He carried a snare pole in his hand, it was dirty around the noose end and it looked fresh.

_"HANDLER!" _a Dixierat screamed out.

The Dixierats' happy atmosphere shattered into desperate brutal screams. Many scrambled at the cage, clawing and biting against the rubber. Several tried Quick Attack and Thundershocking the cage to no avail, they only succeed in getting the handler to laugh.

They were trapped, with no way out.

The elder Dixierat grabbed Pikachu and forced him to the cage floor, _"Get down," _said Pikachu, _"Get down and don't look up!"_

Pikachu complied, he buried his head into the elder Dixierat's belly as he heard the cage door open. The screaming got louder. Dixierats jumped and plow over him as they bounce off the cage walls. Several broke down crying, others began begging for mercy. Pikachu gripped his ears, trying to muffle the noise, _"He's got my mate," _he heard a Dixierat Pikachu screamed, _"He's got my mate!"_

The elder Pikachu wrapped an arm over Pikachu's head, then whispered into his ear, _"Welcome to the belly of the beast."_

He heard an audible snap, then the cage door slammed shut, _"NO," _he heard the Dixierat cry, _"NO!"_

Pikachu tried to look up to see what was going on, but the elder Pikachu shoved him back down, _"You don't need to see this." _he warned.

He tried to ask what was happening, but his voice got caught in his throat. Pikachu just laid there until the elder Pikachu lifted his arm, when Pikachu sat up he saw a dozen petrified faces filled with tears.

**. . .**

Ash barged into the bunker, barely catching his breath, "Pikachu!" his voice croaked.

He was greeted with utter silence, the bunker house thing was empty. Tesla was gone, and so were his relatives. They must had taken him along in their little walks, or Nick had gotten them. No, impossible, but there was no way for sure if they were alright. Ash just stood there staring at the blank HDTV screen, his heart crumbling into his stomach.

"Ash?" Cilan asked as he walked into the room, "Are you alright?"

Ash just shook his head and slumped on one of the couches, "We're too late."

Iris sat down beside Ash and he cried on his shoulder. Cilan just stood there, running his hand through his hair as he stared at the clock, "Oh what a bad recipe." he muttered.

"Ash," said Iris, "Pikachu's with Tesla, he'll be alright."

"Tesla's in no shape to travel!" Ash hissed, he wiped away a tear and got up, "Look, just leave me alone right now."

Ash walked passed Cilan and opened the bedroom door, then slammed it shut. He engaged the doorknob lock and jumped onto the bed, crying into the pillow, "Ash," Cilan knocked, "It's not your fault Ash, it never was! We-"

"Cilan," said Iris, "Give him time, it isn't the end of the world."

"Axew Ew." Axew said sorrowfully.

Thunder cracked above, everything in the room trembled. Ash pulled off his hat and tossed it aside, he laid on the bed for some time before drifting off to sleep.

**. . .**

"You hear that?" Mark asked.

"Emm." Emolga whined.

Mark stroke Emolga's head, "What's wrong, girl?"

Emolga looked at him with sad eyes. Mark's blood ran cold, it's not a good sign when a Pokémon has sad eyes. "Emolga," said Mark, "Whatever's going on, that is the reason we're here – to put a stop to it."

"Em." Emolga nodded, then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Poachers' camp alright," said Doc as he peaked over the hill, "Come look at this."

Mark climbed up the hill and laid down beside Doc, he and his Pokémon looked out into the camp and saw what looked like was a cage. Looking closely they saw what looked like Pikachus crowding inside a cage, "Well," Mark whispered, "At least we know where they are."

"No way we can take them all on," said Doc, "there's just too many."

"So how are we going to even the odds?" Mark asked.

"Emo?" Emolga added.

Doc shook his head, "We've already had, their radios don't work and they can't call for reinforcements. This is it, but it's still isn't enough."

"Wanna go back to town and ask around for folks for a shootout?"

"They won't sign up for it and I don't wanna create a legal hassle with Officer Jenny."

"Surely someone owes you a few favors."

Doc looked at him, "Yes, someone does. That someone is you."

Mark remembered the shootout to save the Dixierat in the trap, he groaned, "Oh, I see. You want me to be the brute force in this operation."

"Not exactly," said Doc, "I want you to be a bug and sting them a few times before I deliver the final blow, then it would be an all out shootout where we can take them out one at a time."

"We gotta take out the leader, just who is the leader anyway?"

"Psst!" said a voice, "Over here!"

Mark and Doc turned and saw Ray and Bruiser climbing up, "Oh I'm glad to see you guys," said Ray, "Things had gotten out of hand and we were just about to wing it when we found you."

"Where's Tesla?" Mark asked.

"The poachers got him," said Bruiser, "They got our uncle and Ash's Pikachu too."

"Well sh*t," said Doc, "This keeps stepping up a level, I'm gonna go grab all the grenades I could muster and get some fireworks going."

Mark glared at Ray, "How did you manage that?"

"Nick was following us," said Ray, "He used an EMP grenade to create confusion, I managed to get a grip on my senses. Bruiser was the closest to me, so I grabbed him and dragged his ass out of there while Nick clobbered Tesla with the butt of his shotgun."

"Well double-sh*t," said Doc, he then turned to Bruiser, "How are you feeling Bruiser, you don't sound too good."

"I'd just lost last night's dinner," said Bruiser, "But I'll live."

Doc felt Bruiser's cheeks, "Yup, they're warm to the touch. Do they hurt?"

"They're so sore that my jaw hurts too."

"I don't think Bruiser can give much help with his condition." said Ray.

"I got that feeling too." said Doc.

Bruiser frowned, "I got a few friends who owe me some favors. I could persuade a Dixierat pack up here to give you guys reinforcements, they're willing to sacrifice themselves for a better life."

"How would you do it?" Mark asked.

"I'll tell them there's free beer and food up here and that would get them moving, also they'll love to piss off some poachers."

Mark nodded, "Do what you need to do, Bruiser. How fast can we expect your reinforcements to come?"

"Give it 30 minutes, it might be a while but I'm sure you guys can soften the poachers up for them."

"Without getting shot up," said Ray, then he added, "Look, there's a thunderstorm rolling overhead and we need Tesla to cast a Thunderbolt against it. The storm will get charged with energy and it'll come straight down on the camp. The Dixierats already here will help along, only if we get them out of their cage."

"Where's Tesla being hold up at?" Mark asked.

"Center of the camp, not far from the others. I'm not sure what the poachers done to him to make sure he doesn't break out."

Mark turned to Bruiser, "If we're lucky, we might be able to locate your brother."

Bruiser smiled, "His name is Pika, just ask around and he'll turn up. I'll be right back guys, just please don't be dead when I come back."

Bruiser took off down to the forest, he got at least 20 meters before he stopped at a ditch. Mark tried his best not to laugh as Bruiser vomit into the ditch, the Raichu swore in Pokémon speech before he took off again, "EMP made him nauseous," Ray explained once Bruiser's out of sight, "Okay, what's the plan?"

Before Mark could say anything, he felt a few drops of rain pelt his head. He looked up and saw green clouds swirling above, "Somehow we gotta use that storm to our advantage."

"Like I said," said Ray, "We need Tesla for that."

Doc sighed, he propped his gun up and said, "Tesla is the most serious Pikachu I had ever known. He used to tell me stories during his transition, as he called it, from the wild to permanent captivity. Tesla knows how to pick the locks on his cages, he breaks in and out of them as he please. He told me that he would had just bailed out of any of the Pokémon labs he visited and run off into the wild, but he didn't. He had no hope of ever reclaiming his former life, and didn't wish to be hounded for. Every time he told me these stories, he would look off out the window or down a valley, 'Comfort was more important than freedom.' he would say.

"Now remember that Tesla's horribly near-sighted, his eyes are so bad he won't dare move without help. It scares him, we've all seen that yesterday when he freaked out when I forgot to put his goggles back on," Doc fished out his wallet and pulled out a hundred Pokédollars, "I bet a hundred Pokédollars that not only Tesla's stuck in a cage, but the poachers took his goggles. If we're gonna free him, we gotta take that into consideration."

Mark pulled out his wallet and pulled out a wrinkled one-hundred Pokédollar bill, "Alright, deal. If you're wrong, you gotta give my Pokémon a bath after feeding them baked beans."

Emolga and his Pikachu giggled, Doc was not amused, "Damn Faraday Island and its sick humor."

Both Kissinger and Westinghouse looked at each other with stern eyes, then broke down into laughter. After laughing for a full minute, Andy added, "If you lose you have to sleep with a Raichu tonight."

"What?" Mark asked.

**. . .**

As rain started pouring, the Joltik was closing in on Nick. The Attaching Pokémon calmly walked by several poachers, most of whom just rolled their eyes over him, not paying much attention. He had been around here for so long that the poachers hadn't given much thought about him. Well, at least his master wasn't mad at him. With that misunderstanding cleared up, the Joltik could run free around the camp again.

He hadn't anticipated Tesla getting locked up like that, especially having his eye-goggles pulled off. The Joltik couldn't imagine what it was like having two eyes, and he didn't wanna find out. Somehow he gotta get Tesla's goggles back, but it was on Nick. Nick doesn't like him that much, and the goggles were in his pocket. The Joltik hadn't pick-pocketed before, he doesn't have any thumbs to hold the goggles. This was going to be difficult, but how difficult, the Joltik wasn't sure. But what was certain was that his master would not approve of this, though technically he didn't say it was _okay _for him to give Tesla back his sight. If the master _didn't _say he _can't_, then it was _alright _for the Joltik to do. He just hoped it would stay that way.

The Joltik spotted Nick by the trailer, he was sitting in the back holding up the goggles. The Joltik crawled underneath a picnic table and hid in the shadows, then waited.

**. . .**

"Whoa," Nick thought aloud, "Tesla was that blind."

The goggles were so blurry that Nick couldn't make out simple shapes. He ran his thumb around the strap, it was a little worn from constant rubbing. He couldn't believe he was holding Tesla's weakest link, no way he would've won all those battles without them.

Nick sat down the goggles and looked up at the sky, the green clouds weren't so promising. The soft pelting of rain suggest it might get hectic soon, but how hectic was anyone's guess. With no way to access the Unova Weather Channel, everyone was in the dark. Things were going to get bad, Nick knows it, he could feel it in his bones.

_Maybe someday I could put all this behind me, _he told himself, _Just forget it all. Besides, as long as the Dixierats remain a secret, I'm in the clear. The region shouldn't know about these pissballs._

He could head home right now and grab his important documents, though the storm might hit while on route. He had to hunker down somewhere where he would stay dry. Screw the tornadoes, he'll jump in the ditch when they come roaring in.

Nick got up and approached some SUVs. Technically Team Rocket owns it, yet it had fake documentation. They were 3 of them, roughly lined up with their own built-in accessories. Nick opened up the white one and climbed into the back, after pulling down the passenger seats to extend the trunk he shut the SUV door and laid down. It was warm and cozy, someone must had used it recently. Nick yawned and pulled down his hat, this may be the only time where he could get some sleep. Might as well catch some sleep, in case his worse fears come true.

**. . .**

The Joltik couldn't believe it, Nick forgotten about the goggles. Either he didn't have much interest in them or he'd forgotten about them. The Joltik chuckled, humans were so forgetful. He jumped up and collected the goggles, the Attaching Pokémon peaked through one of the lens to see how bad Tesla's eyes were. Yikes! They were that bad. The Joltik better get it to him before he suffer more.

He wrapped the goggles over his belly and made the trip back to the cage. This time he crept more covertly. The other poachers wouldn't bat an eye if they catch him with Tesla's eye-goggles, it was his master that worried him. His master would be mad, really mad. So mad that the Joltik couldn't think what would happen to him if the deed was discovered.

Well, there had to be sometimes when the Joltik made decisions for himself. He'd been instructed to do this and that for so long that he'd forgotten what it was like to make his own decisions. Besides, he wasn't a bad Pokémon. Sure the Attaching Pokémon can be a pest, but they had little choice. Their bodies can't hold much of a charge, they need a good source of electricity to function. The Joltik never had considered running off before since his master provides him with fresh hosts. But after what happened to his last host, it was time to make a decision.

He could always leave, never come back. The Joltik may be closed off from his master's plans but he wasn't that ignorant. He knows that whatever was happening, it was going to end badly. The Joltik can't help his master, not anymore. Just staying with him was no longer an option.

But where would he go? He could always rejoin Ray, the big guy was friendly and was loaded with electricity. Then again, he didn't feel like staying in the Dixie. That would be an insult to his last host, and that was something he couldn't bare. As nice Ray was, the Joltik just can't stay here. He had to move on, and never come back.

_But where should I go? _He asked himself.

Anywhere, he could go anywhere. Back to Chargestone Cave, maybe make a hike to Nimbasa City. There were so many places to consider, and he had a lot of time to think about it.

Right now he can't. Tesla needs him. The Attaching Pokémon had something that the Pikachu needs to function, without it he would be helpless. The Joltik couldn't leave him like that. No, that wouldn't be right. He had to help him and his family, the Joltik couldn't forgive himself if he don't.

He looked around, checking to see if his master was there. No, he wasn't. The Joltik sighed and made a break for it. He bravely skittered across the forest floor towards Tesla's cage, he didn't bother looking around, he stared straight ahead, not stopping for anything. The rain was picking up, his fur was getting soaked. That wasn't good, the storm's going to wash out everything and leave poor Tesla in the mercy of the elements. The Joltik hurried, he tried jumping to see if it makes running faster. It doesn't. So the Attaching Pokémon kept a steady pace, taking deep breaths every second. It seemed to help, his legs feel more fluid with the method.

The Joltik approached the tree stump and climbed up the bark, then squeezed himself back into the cage. Tesla was still there, groaning to himself. The Attaching Pokémon sat the goggles on his head and tapped his shoulder, _"Here you go, buddy. You can cheer up now."_

Tesla reached up and felt his goggles, a smile stretched across his face, _Eww, _the Joltik thought when he saw his teeth, _They're rotten._

"If you were a woman I would kiss you," said Tesla in human speech, he put his goggles on and blinked, "Oh that's much better. Thank you, Joltik! Thank you!"

_"You better hurry, the storm's almost here."_

Tesla snickered and said in Pokémon speech, _"Joltik, I am the storm."_

The old Pikachu reached out and pulled the latch up, then pushed the door open, "Thank you evolution." he said before jumping out.

_"And now I'm outta here," _the Joltik told himself, _"Goodbye, master, we had a great time together."_

The Joltik jumped out of the cage and scurried towards the forest, he didn't look back.

**. . .**

Ash's Pikachu noticed one Dixierat who wasn't feeling too good. A Pikachu sat against the bars, his head buried in his knees. He seemed to be crying his heart out. Pikachu made his way past the other Dixierats and sat down next to him, he placed his hand on his shoulder, _"Are you alright?" _he asked.

The Dixierat looked up, he gave Pikachu a curious glance before sighing, _"I'm gonna die," _he muttered, _"Just when I became a father, I got my tail caught and now I'm gonna die."_

_ "How long have you been in here?" _Pikachu asked.

_"Three days," _the Dixierat wiped away a tear and said, _"My name's Pika, at least that's what my Mama called me. I don't know what happened to my mate or my unborn child, all I know that a lot of my pack members are dead. I don't know if my mate, Chuchu, is among them. My brother must be worried sick."_

Pika then gave Pikachu another look, _"You aren't from around here, are you."_

That was no question, _"I'm from Kanto." _said Pikachu.

_"A pure-blood alright, you even smell like one. These Dixierats smelled worse than what they're eating these days."_

_ "Your brother's name is Bruiser, right?"_

Pika's eyes shot wide open, _"How did you know?"_

_ "He told me about you, he went back to your pack's territory to find you. They hadn't told me what they found, just what they brought back," _then Pikachu added, _"I didn't came alone, there was another Pikachu. A really old one. His name's Tesla."_

_ "Tesla?" _Pika asked, _"_The _Tesla?"_

Pikachu nodded, _"The one wearing goggles."_

Pika shook his head, _"I don't believe this."_

_ "He went over there with Bruiser when they're looking for you. Tesla found your burrow, at the time he didn't know it belonged to you. When he looked inside..._

Pikachu just shook his head, _"I don't know how to say it. I'm sorry, Pika. Chuchu's dead."_

Pika just dropped and cried, _"No," _he screamed, _"No, she can't be!"_

_ "But the egg's fine," _added Pikachu, _"He brought it back to Doc's bunker along with Chuchu's body, they wrapped the egg up in blankets while burying Chuchu in the backyard. Tesla __wanted to bury the body, that way he could take the Pichu to it if it wanted to know where its mother is__."_

Pika sat up and sniffled, _"He doesn't even know her personally, yet he went through all the trouble in taking care of her. A living ancestor, here in Dixie. Well, actually the original Dixierat or something!"_

Pikachu hugged Pika as he rested his head on his shoulder, _"Where is he?"_

_ "He got caught trying to break you guys out, I was with him when they came on us."_

_ "You ain't helping us in here, Kanto Kid."_

_ "__I know that, is there a way out of this cage?"_

Pika pointed up, _"Only through the top, but there's a lock on it. The handlers have the key."_

_ "Oh boy," _said Pikachu, _"What's going to happen to us?"_

_ "We're all gonna die, that's whats going to happen. That poacher noosed one of the Dixierats and snapped her neck, it won't be long till they kill us all," _Pika let out another sob, _"I don't wanna die."_

_ "Don't worry," _said Pika, _"We have outside help."_

_ "It better come soon, cause that storm is getting worse."_

Pikachu looked up, only to find a hailstone ping him on the forehead. He yelped as it bounced off and clattered to the bottom of the cage, then another hailstone fell, then another.

_"Oh this is bad," _said Pika, _"This is really bad."_

**. . .**

Hail started dropping all over the place, the stones were marble size and they hurt a lot. Tesla had to crawl underneath a picnic table to escape it. He watched as the white ice balls pour down like a shower, pounding the forest floor with heavy thuds. The combination of rain and hail made the temperature drop a few degrees, yet it was so minute that Tesla could barely feel it. But what he does know was that a tornado might drop soon, maybe not around here but there was no way to tell for sure. It'll come without warning and throw off his plans, it would be every man and Pokémon for himself.

_Then I better hurry up and wrap this up. _Tesla thought.

When the hail died down, Tesla stepped out and rushed over to a tree. He pressed his back against the trunk as a poacher walked by. He held his breath and wait for him to pass. Once the poacher was far enough away, Tesla broke cover and ran for the next tree. He checked for more poachers, none. Tesla hopped from tree to tree, being quick about it. He made his way towards the Dixierat cage. He got close enough to realize how packed it was, _Holy, _Tesla thought, _This is the last batch the poachers caught?_

Tesla scanned the area for more poachers, there was one walking by in the distance. He waited till the poacher was out of sight before creeping up to the cage. The Dixierats inside all gave him peculiar looks, some started chirping in joy while others panicked, begging the old Pikachu to release them. Tesla could see his son sitting on one side of the cage, he didn't look so energetic, _"Son," _Tesla said in Pokémon speech, _"I'm here, I'm here."_

The elder Pikachu's one eye turned towards him, after looking over him he said, _"You're bleeding."_

_ "Right now that's the least of my concerns," _said Tesla, _"I'm gonna get you out of there, where's the key?"_

_ "The handlers have it, but I don't know how many handlers there are," _the elder Pikachu looked up and gasped, _"Tesla, lookout!"_

Tesla turned too late, the end of the shovel slammed into his side with serious force. He tumbled off and slammed against a tree. Tesla blinked and saw the point end of the shovel coming at him. He dodged, the end of the shovel bit into the tree and threw up splinters, "Get over here you piece of sh*t!" hissed Hendrickson.

Ralph raised the shovel again, as he called it down Tesla made his tail turned to steel and countered it. The shovel and his Iron Tail made contact, there was a huge flash and it knocked both Tesla and Hendrickson back. Ralph raised up the shovel, only to find the wooden handle had snapped. He tossed it aside and pulled out his hunting knife, "You son of a b*tch."

Tesla got back to his feet and braced himself, "Oh, I'm more of a scumbag than a son of a b*tch." he taunt.

"And you can talk too, oh now I'm pissed!"

The old Pikachu couldn't help but grin, this was getting fun.

**. . .**

"I'll be damned," said Doc, "Look at this."

Mark peered over the edge and saw the fight. It wasn't much of a fight, Tesla was jumping all over the place as Ralph tried to stab him with his knife. His Emolga and Pikachu awed, they liked watching action scenes.

"So Tesla broke out of his cage after all," Mark thought, "But did they took his goggles before-hand?"

"We gotta do something, Mark," Doc said, "We can't just sit here."

**. . .**

The caged Dixierats watched as Tesla annoyed Ralph till his blood boiled. For a century-old Pikachu, Tesla was too quick for him. Hendrickson couldn't get his knife home. Sometimes he comes close, only for Tesla to jump away at the last second. Ralph growled, his patience was running thin, "Hold still, you little f*ck!"

"You sound like you aren't having fun," Tesla said sarcastically, "What's the matter, something blown your fuse?"

Ralph barked, "Oh that does it!"

Just when Tesla jumped away from the knife, Ralph gave Tesla a surprise kick in his gut. The old Pikachu grunted as he tumbled on his back. Ralph slammed his boot down on Tesla's chest, the old Pikachu let out a scream as he felt his ribs cracking. The caged Dixierats broke into a frenzy, they all started screaming, begging for Ralph to stop. But their cries were muffled and distorted in his mind, right now they didn't matter, "I knew you and Irvin were nothing but trouble," said Ralph, "You two cost us millions of Pokédollars with your weapons schemes!"

"Why you care?" Tesla gasped, he used all his strength to push Ralph's foot away. It was no use, his arms were no match for the size 12 boot.

"I was the one keeping track of the finances," Ralph insisted, "When I saw the unsuspected drop in our budget, I knew it was you two. Irvin had clearance to some of Team Rocket's bank accounts, and _you _have access to the armory through the air ducts. I knew. I caught you and Irvin in the act while you were hauling off weapons, but I didn't say anything. I had no evidence to prove it.

"But now you've kicked the hornet's nest. This poaching operation is for recovering those lost Pokédollars, the Pokédollars _you _stole. Now I have HQ wondering why I hadn't made my morning report and they're going to send in a team soon to investigate, if they come here and find my operation in a standstill..."

"You're a dead man." Tesla finished.

The boot pressed harder, this time it cut off Tesla's airway. He started gasping for air, the Dixierat's cries got louder, "And so is everyone here unlucky enough when the authorities arrive, _if _the authorities arrive. Officer Jenny won't give a sh*t, but when the regional police sees this, there's going to be chaos!"

Tesla stopped moving and stared at him, his face turning blue from the lack of oxygen, "Now I wonder how much money I could scrounge up from your corpse."

The old Pikachu sucked enough air and asked in a hoarse voice, "You have health insurance?"

Ralph raised an eyebrow, "Why"

Tesla simply grinned, then Ralph saw the smoke coming out of his pants, _What the? _

He pulled his boot off of Tesla and pulled his pants leg up, his eyes bulged open. His leg was steaming hot, covered with blisters and falling skin. Ralph touched it, it was hot as a stove, _Third degree burns, _Ralph thought, _How did I get third degree burns?_

"Not so pretty having electricity running up your leg, huh?" Tesla snickered.

Ralph checked the other leg, it wasn't as bad as the other but just as cooked. He grabbed his boot to pull it off, only to find the bottom had melted. When he managed to get his boot off, he winced when he pulled off most the skin off his already cooked foot, _Holy sh*t, _he thought, _It's not third degree burns, it's forth!_

Burns that go all the way to the bone, the worse case possible for burns. He had seen such burns from fire-types but not from an electric-type, not until today.

Before Ralph knew it, he felt something body-slam him in the back. Then the world went dark.

**. . .**

"Nice blow, Ray." Tesla praised.

Ray stretched his limbs and rushed over to Tesla, "Did he break anything, Tesla? Did he hurt you!?"

Tesla smiled, "There's nothing left to break."

The old Pikachu got up and rooted around Ralph's pockets, it was still warm from his legs being cooked but Tesla didn't mind. He was too experienced in being in hot situations, "Here we go," Tesla said, pulling out the keys, "These might be it."

Tesla hopped up on the cage and went through the keys, he found one that fits into the padlock and twisted it. The lock clicked open. He pulled it off and opened up the cage, "Okay boys and girls," he said, "Let's have some fun!"

**. . .**

Nick was stirred awake when he heard gunshots rang out, he shot up and looked out the window. The first thing he saw were yellow balls of blur discharging electricity in all directions. Nick panicked, time was up.

He threw open the trunk door and ran for the hills. Thick ozone choked his nose, Nick coughed as he struggled to breathe. The sky above swirled violently as the storm gets ready to unleash its fury, whether it would drop tornadoes was anyone's guess. Ralph told him to wait till the storm passed before leaving. Obviously that was a big mistake. Now the Dixierats had broken out, and they want payback. Nick had enough, he was done. Finished. Better cut his losses now before he himself gets fried.

Nick ran over the hill and jogged passed several trees. He was in full panic mode, his legs streamed in high gear as he jogged across a mountain. Nick looked back to see if anyone was following him, he didn't see anyone obvious but-

He tripped on a log and fell, as he hit the ground it exploded in leaves and sticks. The last thing he saw were dozens upon dozens of sharpened sticks, smeared with sh*t.

The Dixierat's punji stick trap worked like a charm, Nick was impaled like a pin cushion as he hit the bottom. Spikes went through his heart, spleen, stomach, and liver. He was dead before the pain could register in his brain.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	22. Epilogue

**DISCLAIMER: Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, this story was made for non-profit use only.**

**INFO: Go to my Pokémon forum or my FanFiction profile for updates on my Pokémon stories.**

_Epilogue_

Ash had been in the bedroom for hours, he hadn't eaten anything since that morning. He only got up to use the bathroom twice. His urine streamed dark yellow. Ash didn't give much thought, only his Pikachu was on his mind.

He took a moment and glanced out the window, the storm was gloomy and rain was coming down in torrents. The wind rippled through the trees, as if it was trying to tear them apart. Visibility was so bad he couldn't see much of anything. Ash wondered how his Pikachu was handling it, if he was with Tesla he hoped that the old Pikachu would protect him.

Just as Ash was about to close the blinds, he saw a crowd of Mice Pokémon and two humanoid figures jogging through the rain. He knew who it was.

Ash ran out of the bedroom and opened the door for them. Doc and Mark came running through first, then four Pikachus, a shiny-sprite Emolga, a Raichu, and a Mouse Pokémon monstrosity. Doc shut the door and locked it, then sighed, "What a day."

Cilan and Iris got up from the couches and looked up, "Where were you guys!?" they asked.

The group was soaked from the storm's relentless power, they looked sore yet in good spirits. Tesla was in the worst shape, he was covered in bruises and the gash on his forehead had reopened. Ash's jaw dropped when his Pikachu came up and jumped into his arms, he didn't care he was drenched. What was important was that Pikachu was back and alright.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered.

Ash turned to Doc and Mark, "Where were you guys?"

Doc and Mark just looked at each other, then turned to Ash, "Taking care of business." Mark simply say.

Ash then turned to Tesla, "What happened to you, Tesla?"

The old Pikachu sighed and said, "I got into a fight with a shovel and a boot, they both lost."

"Are you hurt?"

Tesla bluntly say, "Yes, I am. That shovel and boot nearly killed me, at least they didn't broke anything."

Ash reached down to pick up Tesla, but the old Pikachu simply slapped his hand, "Focus on your Pikachu first. He's your top-priority, not me."

Tesla walked into the bedroom, trailing wet footprints on the floor behind him. Ash turned to Bruiser, he had a smile on his face with an arm over a Pikachu's shoulder, "The poachers are gone, Ash," he said, "This here is my brother, Pika. I thought I lost him but your Pikachu found him, I can't be ever more grateful."

"Pika Pikachu." Pika muttered.

"He says he's not in the mood to celebrate right now," said Ray, "He'd just found out his mate's gone."

"Here," said Doc, "Let's all get cleaned up and we'll tell you what happened. Cilan, can you make some hot cocoa in the kitchen? It was cold out there."

Cilan nodded, then rushed into the kitchen.

**. . .**

Doc, Mark, Ray, and Bruiser described the events on what happened. After tracking down the poachers and suffering several close calls, Tesla managed to free the trapped Dixierats and sent them against the poachers. The poachers tried fighting back at first, only to find themselves overwhelmed when Bruiser arrived with a pack of Dixierats. Outnumbered, poachers started bailing out of the camp. They either dropped their guns and broke off running into the forest, some bailed out in vehicles only to get stuck when the torrential rain made the grounds too muddy.

Nick Terrance had escaped in an SUV, apparently he had no intention on fighting back. So when he saw how screwed the poachers were, he bailed out and ran for the woods. Mark and Doc wouldn't tell what happened to him, "No need to worry about him anymore" was all they would say.

Among the chaos, Bruiser was reunited with his brother Pika, "I couldn't stop crying," Bruiser explained to the others, "I felt that missing hole in my heart refilled, I'd never felt so alive."

"So what about the remaining poachers?" Cilan asked.

"The thunderstorm will take care of them," said Doc, "Their little operation is over, the Dixierats will clean up the mess they left behind."

Doc explained that the poachers ran out of ammo, so whatever few ammunition they had left was used when the Dixierats tried to corner them. When the last of the poachers were driven out, the Dixierats started cheering and singing their personal Dixierat anthem. But it was short-lived, the thunderstorm started dumping rain and washed everybody out, which caused most Dixierats to run home. Bruiser explained that the Dixierats would come back tomorrow to see what they can salvage to renovate their burrows.

Ash glanced at the clock, it was almost time for bed. He picked up Pikachu and rubbed his ears, his Mouse Pokémon cooed as Ash went to scratch the back of his head. Mark held up his Pikachu and sat her down on the coffee table, "Don't move."

"Pika." the Dixierat nodded.

Mark stood up and pulled out an enlarged Poké ball, without warning he tossed it at his Pikachu. The Poké ball burst open and absorbed the Pikachu, then snapped closed. It dropped on the coffee table and started beeping, twitching heavily as a red light pulse at the button. Everyone leaned forward and watched as the Poké ball dinged, then stopped twitching.

"Yes! Yes!" Mark cheered, he picked up the Poké ball and held it up for all to see, "I caught my first Pokémon!"

"Damn," said Tesla, "You suck."

Everyone turned and saw Tesla sitting on top of the couch, Mark groaned and held up the Poké ball, "Shut up! Shut up! I caught her fair and square!"

"She let you catch her, it's more of an official agreement than an actual capture. Besides, that Pikachu would follow you everywhere even if you hadn't sealed the deal."

Mark shrunk the Poké ball and stuck it into his pocket, "Well then, at least I don't have the burden to carry her on my shoulder anymore."

"Where did you get that Poké ball?" Iris asked.

"Axew?" Axew added.

"Poachers had several of them lying around in their camp," said Mark, "I simply commandeered one, its not like they're going to miss it."

Tesla grumbled, "Screw you, Mark."

Mark laughed, "What are you so grumpy about, Tesla? You took out the poacher leader and lifted a great burden off your family, aren't you happy?"

Tesla shook his head, "I was stuck in a cage, got slammed by a shovel, then got a boot clamped over my throat. If that ain't enough, I have a family curse that made sure a good quarter of Dixierats stayed scarred for the rest of their lives. I don't know about you, Mark, but after all that happened, does capturing that Pikachu tell you anything?"

"Yeah, that Pikachu is your great-grandaughter who has a missing spot in her heart that needs filled," then Mark added, "And you're too closed off from the world and your own family to let them fill your missing spot, what does that say about yourself?"

Tesla clenched his teeth, Ash noticed the hurt in the old Pikachu's eyes, _Here we go again. _Ash thought.

"You know the reason why I came here in the first place?" said Mark, "I came here because I've inherited my grandfather's responsibility in taking care of your problems. I may not like you occasionally, but as far as I can tell, you're still part of the family. That was the whole reason why I even showed up, I came here to Dixie because you're family.

"And just for the record," Mark added, "I also wanted to piss you off, just for the fun of it."

Tesla squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his head, "Damn you, Mark. Just . . . damn you."

The old Pikachu jumped down and rushed back to the bedroom, when the door slammed shut Mark turned to Ash, "Can you get through to him, Ash, he has a liking of you."

Ash nodded, "I'll try, but are you sure it's too soon?"

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu added.

"It's never too soon," said Doc, "when you're dealing with Tesla Westinghouse."

Ash got up and walked around the coffee table, then picked up the Pichu egg, "Tesla went through a lot of trouble getting this egg here, maybe he had forgotten about it."

Pika's eyes bulged open, "Pika! Pika!"

"That's Pika's egg, Ash," said Bruiser, "You're upsetting him!"

"I just need to borrow this for a moment."

Pika looked at his brother with worried eyes, then turned back to Ash, "Pi." he nodded.

Doc opened the bedroom door, "Go easy on him." he whispered.

Ash nodded, "I will."

He held the egg with both hands as he and Pikachu walked into the bedroom, when Doc shuts the door Ash locked it with his elbow, then turned to Tesla. The old Pikachu laid face down on the bed, barely moving. The desk lamp on the nightstand gave off a soft white glow that acted like mood lighting, Ash gulped and approached the bed, then kneeled down, "Tesla," he asked, "Are you alright?"

Tesla sat up and looked at him, his eyes were watery and he was sniffling slightly. Ash couldn't see any anger in him, all he saw was grief, "You hurt?"

The old Pikachu gave a sheepish nod, "Mark wants to be friends with me, and he's using you as his wild card."

Ash handed Tesla the Pichu egg, "This is what at stake, Tesla. This egg you risked your life for to keep safe."

"I can't take the egg," said Tesla, "His father's here, it's his offspring and not mine."

"Yet this egg's still your descendent, it came directly from you and Polly. It's your responsibility as it's his."

Tesla took the egg and held it for a moment, then sat it aside, "Can you find some gauze, Ash? For the gash in my head?"

"It doesn't look that bad," said Ash, "The stitches are still in place."

"It hurts still, my head aches badly."

"I'll go get some gauze for you."

"Check the bathroom, the first aid kit's in there."

Ash went and retrieved the first aid kit, he opened it up and pulled out a gauze pad and an alcohol swab, "Had you ever bandaged something before?" Tesla asked.

"Yes," said Ash, "Several times."

Pikachu sat by and watched as Ash tore open the alcohol swab, he held Tesla's head as he wiped the laceration clean. The old Pikachu didn't wince or resist, he'd just let him do it, "It's hard to stay close to friends, Ash," said Tesla, "I had many friends who aren't alive anymore, I outlived most of them. I don't know if I'm gonna outlive you."

"Is that why you're so grumpy?"

"Actually it was because the friends I do have tease me a lot, but at least you don't. My heart is just too sore for anything else."

"Tesla," said Ash, "Do you wanna live?"

Tesla looked at Ash and shrugged, "I do, yet I don't. I just don't belong here, Ash. Sure I'm related to the Dixierats, but that's all we have in common. They're too immature for me to tolerate, and I'm not in the mood to be angry. I don't want to live in Dixie, I had enough with it."

"Yet you found your son."

"One of them actually, he's an old Pikachu, Ash, just like me. There isn't much I could do for him now, and who knows how many of my children are suffering."

Ash pulled out the gauze pad and added some herbal antibiotic, then place it over the cut and taped it down with medical tape, "There," said Ash, "All done."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped.

Tesla laid down and snuggled the egg, "Thank you, Ash. I'm sorry for what I did to you and your Pokémon back on Faraday Island, I won't forget this."

Ash nodded, then turned back towards the bedroom door. Pikachu glanced back at Tesla a final time before rushing back to Ash to retire for the night.

**. . .**

"So what did he say last night?" Mark asked as everyone was eating breakfast.

"He told me his problems, he also apologized again for what happened at Faraday City."

Doc snickered, "When Tesla's really upset, he wants to be in good terms to his closest friend. He can't afford rivalries at the moment."

"I thought taking care of the poachers would give him peace," said Cilan, "But instead it has an equal opposite effect."

"No matter what you do, that Pikachu won't be fully vitalized a hundred-percent. My grandfather done the best he could and I done the best I could. There isn't much we could do for Tesla."

Ray dug into a can of spam and smiled, "This taste better than leftover garbage!"

"That has a lot of salt in it Ray." said Bruiser.

"Well, there's a reason we have water isn't there?"

Bruiser gave Ray a hard look, then went back eating his can of beans, "You sure you don't want Pokémon food?" Cilan asked.

"Do we have to go over this again?" Bruiser asked, "I just need something soft to eat, since I'm getting old and I can't have as much solids as I used to."

"Bullsh*t," said Ray, "You just need to get it out of your system faster!"

"Easy for you to say, it's not like we have prune juice lying around."

As Ray and Bruiser kept arguing with each other, Ash rolled his eyes, "Do they always argue like this?"

"Yeah," said Doc, "Dixierat politics, they always argue about the non-essential stuff."

Pika walked up to Doc and tugged his pants, "Pikachu? Pikachu?"

"Ray," Doc called out to him, "What is Pika saying?"

Pika told Ray and he translated, "He says he wants his egg back."

"Tesla still has it," said Ash, "I think he's still asleep."

Since Tesla took up the bed, Doc wound up sleeping on the floor next to Tesla's relatives. Ash offered him the couch, but Doc refused, saying that guests get the best stuff. Strangely he woke up the next day without feeling any pain in his back. No wonder he didn't ask for the couch, hard surfaces don't bother him.

"Should someone go check on Tesla?" Iris asked.

"He'll be fine," said Doc, "He'll come out when he's ready."

**. . .**

Tesla stirred when he felt something tapping on his shoulder, he simply changed position and grumbled. The tapping increased. The old Pikachu started feeling annoyed and muttered, "Stop pecking my dreams."

_"Okay," _said a soft cooing voice, _"I'll stop."_

Tesla's eyes shot open, he sat up and almost fell off the bed. Sitting before him was a Pichu, its hands were folded and her smile was full of love. The Pichu egg had hatched overnight, and it was sleeping with him till it decided to wake up. Tesla adjusted his eye-goggles and spoke in Pokémon speech, _"You hatched, holy crap you hatched!"_

The Pichu smiled, _"What's your name, __do you have one__?"_

Tesla picked up the Pichu and said in human speech, "My name's Tesla Westinghouse, I'm your great-great grandfather. I went through a lot of trouble in trying to save you."

_"I know," _said the Pichu, _"I heard you__r__ voice, you were sad. What happened?"_

Tesla sighed, "I had to deal with a family problem, I can safely say you won't have to deal with it yourself."

_"What's my name?" _the Pichu asked.

"Well first, are you a boy or a girl?"

The Pichu shrugged, _"I don't know, how can I tell?"_

Tesla sat her on the bed, "Check your privates."

_"My what?"_

The old Pikachu pointed down, _"Between your legs."_

The Tiny Mouse Pokémon nodded, then looked down, "You gotta go rooting along in there," said Tesla, "The fur buries the genitals. Don't worry, I won't watch."

_"I don't mind." _the Pichu simply say.

Tesla chuckled, _Classic Dixierat._

The Pichu checked its genitals, after poking around for a few minutes it looked up, _"Okay, I think I found it."_

"What does it look like?"

_"I don't know, can you check?"_

Tesla picked the Pichu up and held it over his head, then sat it back down, "You're a girl, I think we should name you Volta."

_"Volta?" _the Pichu asked.

"Yup."

The Pichu cracked a smile, _"It sounds catchy, I like it."_

_ Volta Westinghouse, _Tesla thought, _Genius._

Tesla picked up Volta, "Okay," he said, "I'm going to take you to see your father, who is also my great-grandson. His name is Pika, and you're going to call him either Dad or Daddy, whatever you prefer. One thing I want you to decide is who you're going to follow, cause I'm not going to be staying here."

_"Where will you be going?" _Volta asked.

"Anywhere," said Tesla, "Whatever direction I choose to go, I'm an old Pikachu and I had lived my life to its fullest. Though I won't say it was a well-lived life, but I had already done what I could possibly do. Right now my retirement plan is to roam from place to place, seeing the sights and try to forget any hardship I had to bare during my day."

_"Who's my Mommy?" _Volta asked.

"Chuchu," said Tesla, then he sighed, "I'm sorry, Volta, she sacrificed herself to save you before you were born. I might as well tell you now cause some things are better known than not. She's resting peacefully, Volta, you have my assurance she's proud of you."

Tesla carried her to the bedroom door, "Your father is still grieving about her death, so go easy on him. He'd just became a father the moment you were born and his opportunity was ruined, make him feel proud to be one."

Volta nodded, _"Okay."_

**. . .**

The kitchen door opened and Tesla stepped through, Ash looked up and saw he was holding a Pichu in his arms, "Lookie here, guys," Tesla announced, "Isn't she beautiful?"

"The egg hatched!" cried Cilan.

Pika rushed up to Tesla, "Pika! Pika! Pika!"

The Pichu leaped out of Tesla's arms and hugged its father tight, "Pi Pi Pichu, Pichu Pichu." it said.

"She said her name's Volta," said Ray, "She came with the name."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pika sobbed, his eyes poured thick tears as he cradled his daughter.

"He said his mate planned to name her Volta," translated Bruiser, "Or at least mentioned it."

Volta leaped out of Pika's arms and looked at Bruiser, "Pichu Pi?" she asked.

"My name's Bruiser," said the Raichu, "I'm your uncle, your father's brother."

Ray crawled up to her and picked her up, "My name's Rayovac, but you can call me Ray. I'm Bruiser's and your father's cousin, I'm not sure what that makes me."

"First cousin, second removed." said Tesla.

"Oh, well then, I think that clears it."

Volta hugged Ray and said, "Pichu Pichu Pi, Pichu!"

"She said I look funny," Ray snickered, "Said I'm big and strong as well."

"Pi Pi." Volta added.

Ray laughed, "And squishy."

Volta leaped out of Ray's arms and looked at Ash's Pikachu, "Pichu Pi," she said, "Pichu Pi."

Pikachu blushed and smiled, "Pikachu."

"She said Ash's Pikachu don't smell like family," said Ray, "Yet said he's quite sexy."

Everyone in the room burst out laughing, even Tesla couldn't help but laugh, "How does she know that word?" Mark asked.

"We all talk around her when she was a Pichu egg," said Tesla, "She must had picked it up from one of us."

Pika blushed, "Pika Pika."

"Oh," said Tesla, "She picked it up from him."

"Pokémon eggs tend to be aware of their surroundings," said Doc, "That's what prepares them for when they enter the world."

"How about we show her around town," said Tesla, "Maybe get familiar with the place."

Ash noticed Volta was still staring at his Pikachu. She had a funny look in her eyes, and her smile was kind of off. Pikachu simply turned away and looked up at Ash, he was still blushing.

"You okay, Pikachu?"

Pikachu smiled, "Pikachu."

"Just a little embarrassed is all." translated Ray.

Volta rushed up to Pikachu and jumped on his shoulder, then bit him on the arm. She didn't bite too hard, but it was clear she had something else in mind, "Pikachu!" Pikachu yelped.

"Volta," said Tesla sternly, "Let him go, he ain't food."

Volta jumped off and turned to Tesla, "Pichu Pichu Pi."

Bruiser and Ray looked at each other, then snickered, "Okay you too," said Tesla, "You're coming with me. Pika, you're carrying Volta. We're going to show her around town and inform her of the hazards, I don't think we should worry much about anything else."

Ray nodded, "Sound's like a plan."

**. . .**

Tesla and his grandsons and great-grandsons took Volta into town hours later. They first showed her around to give her a sense on what everything looks like. Volta seem to take interest, constantly nodding and occasionally asking questions. Ray suggest they show her all the usual spots for finding food, but Bruiser refused, suggesting they should take her to the restaurants instead. They both argued for five minutes until Ray started seeing fireworks again, causing him to run off into the woods screaming.

As Bruiser went off chasing him, Tesla went through the basic ground rules. Though not a resident of Dixie, he had 40 years of experience living in the wilderness and off the streets. He explained to Volta how to handle authorities when getting into trouble, and how to handle a confrontation of other Pokémon trainers. Volta loved the sound of his voice, she even asked Tesla how he, Bruiser, and Ray spoke human while most Dixierats do not, "We learned how to speak," said Tesla, "And it was quite difficult."

Pika carried her for most of the time, she sat either on his head or was cradled in his arms. She constantly begged Tesla to hold her while he was doing the teaching sessions, interestingly enough Tesla would give in to her demands but Pika wouldn't allow it. The old Pikachu didn't complain, as Volta wasn't his child.

Officer Jenny came around and saw the Dixierats walk up the sidewalk, she and Tesla eyed each other for a minute. With a neutral expression, Tesla simply nodded and Jenny did the same. She turned around and head back to the police station, that was the last time they saw her for today.

Around noon, Bruiser returned with Ray. The Mutant Mouse Pokémon apologized for his episode and asked if they could head out for lunch, Tesla suggested they poke around with the human population, seeing if any of them had food to share.

With the town still crippled by Tesla's EMP, everyone was still out on the street with fire pits and grills set up. There were mixed feelings coming from the populace. Several citizens flatly refused, even if they asked in human speech. But occasionally there would be someone who would offer some leftover lunch meat. Most of the folks who were willing to share were aging longtime residents who were around when the Dixierats came into the seen. Ray and Bruiser knew many of them and would often engage in stories from good times. Tesla would often center around many conversations, as most older folks watched him on TV during his famous Pokémon battles. Though the old Pikachu wouldn't give much explanations of his battles with Irvin, he would talk about Irvin's other Pokémon how they "act like kids who were raised next to a toxic waste dump."

Volta listened to them all, again commenting how she loved the sound of his voice, "You should have heard me sing," he said, "Irvin made dozens of songs in his lifetime, and I learned how to speak by singing some of them."

"How about you sing a tune for us?" Ray asked, "Surely you remember some songs."

Tesla frowned for a moment, then grinned, "Get me a guitar and I'll sing you a song."

**. . .**

Mark went to the Pokémon Center and had a long shower, his Emolga cooed and giggled as he scrubbed her fur until he got most of the loose hair off. He sat his Emolga down and shut off the shower, "Wait on that bench, Emolga," said Mark, "I'll be right back."

"Emo!" Emolga chirped.

The Sky Squirrel Pokémon skipped towards the bench as Mark approached the clothes dispensers, "How much money do they spend on these?" Mark thought aloud as he pulled out a white t-shirt and boxers from their respective dispenser.

When he put them on, they felt fresh and soothing to his skin. Mark picked up his towel and walked over to Emolga, then wiped her fur down, "If only we have a hair dryer for you," he told his Pokémon, "You would look so good with your fur fluffed up."

"Em!" Emolga blushed.

"Oh I know, you're pretty enough as it is. It can only make you look sexy."

"Eeem!" Emolga whined.

"Okay, girl. I'll stop."

He dumped the towel into the laundry basket and fished his pants out of the lockers, after zipping them up he felt Plusle, Minun, and his new Pikachu's Poké balls bulging in his pockets. His heart warmed, he couldn't wait to get home.

"Em?" Emolga asked.

"I'm fine, Emolga," said Mark, "I'm fine."

Mark grabbed his boots and shut the locker, he grabbed a pair of socks from the clothes dispensers and slipped them on. They felt fuzzy and thick, quite warm too. Mark got his boots on and stretched his legs, then picked up his Emolga, "Let's go," said Mark, "I planned to leave the main land by sundown, so we gotta say our goodbyes before we leave."

"Emo!" Emolga nodded.

It was quite a fun adventure in Dixie, though there were more drama than he expected. Nonetheless, he felt good. Felt good that the Dixierats won't have to suffer anymore from the poachers. However, their fate was uncertain, _Still too early to tell, _Mark thought, _Might as well check up on them after a few weeks, or a few months._

He walked out of the bathroom and waved goodbye to the Audinos. They waved back, their smiles stretching across their faces.

Mark left the Pokémon Center and head out into town, just as he was about to step back into Doc's dirt road a newspaper dispenser caught his eye. Mark approached it, the dispenser was painted blue, the words, THE DIXIECRAT TIMES, were painted on its sides in white paint. Mark opened it up and pulled out a newspaper, he smiled when he saw the front cover, "Look at that, Emolga," said Mark, "We made the news!"

Taking up most of the front page was a picture of Mark's Emolga smooth-kissing Iris's Emolga, with Mark giving the double-thumbs up in the background. The title literally read:

_YOU'RE NOT GOING TO F*CKING BELIEVE THIS!_

Only in Dixie where swear words are used in newspapers, the other being Faraday Island.

**. . .**

"Thank you for helping us, Ash," said Doc as he shook the Pokémon trainer's hand, "We wouldn't had pushed forward in defeating the poachers without you."

"It's a pleasure," said Ash, "But we hadn't played much of a role in beating the poachers."

"Pika." Pikachu nodded.

"You don't have to solve our biggest problem to help us, washing those Dixierats alone will idolize you here."

"Um, Ash," said Iris, "We got company."

Ash turned and saw a pack of Dixierats running for them, all chirping in excitement. He turned towards the door to the bunker but Doc blocked it, "They just want to give you a hug is all."

Cilan stepped back, "Here they come, guys."

Before Ash could brace himself, the Dixierats were on top of him. Pichus and Pikachus alike pancaked him to the ground and hugged whatever body part they could get a hold of. Ash laughed as several Dixierats licked his face, and a few gave him actual kisses. He looked around and found his buddy covered with female Pikachus, they had circled him and were hugging him with sheer love. Stricken with embarrassment and affection, all Pikachu could do was blush.

"Did I miss something?" Mark asked as he strolled up.

The Dixierats moved away as Ash sat up, "No," said Ash, "We're just about ready to leave. What's up, Mark?"

Mark held up the newspaper, "Here's the latest edition to the local newspaper, they'd just got it printed before the EMP."

Ash stared at the cover for a few seconds, then chuckled, "Well that sure raise spirits."

Iris took one look at the paper, then groaned, "You guys are so immature."

"Why are you so mad?" Mark asked, "I made your Emolga famous."

Iris turned away, not wanting to say another word.

Cilan gave the newspaper a look, "It's so strange that both Emolgas are female, yet your Emolga was affected by Iris's Emolga's Attract."

"She faked it, Cilan," Mark said again, "She faked it, she was just playing along."

"Emo." Mark's Emolga giggled.

Mark walked inside the bunker and came out with his backpack, "Well guys," he said, "I'm heading back to Faraday City, I have work waiting for me back home and I don't wish to use up more vacation days than I need to."

Ash extend his hand, "I'll see you later, Mark."

Mark shook his hand, "If you need anything, Ash, no matter where you are, just give me a call. I'll come along and might even bring my friends over to help you with whatever problem you have, you still have my home phone number right?"

"I do." said Ash.

Mark nodded, "Promise me you won't speak a word of this place, these Dixierats don't need the publicity."

"We'll keep it a secret." said Ash.

The Dixierats started cheering, then began singing _To Arms in Dixie_. Many Dixierats started dancing and jumping around like they were having a party, then Mark added, "By the way, I heard Tesla's going to play a tune for the Dixierats. I don't know what the song is, but you should check it out before you leave," he pointed over to the far edge, "Head over there around sundown, Tesla would sing there."

"Tesla always said he can sing," said Ash, "Aren't you going to stay and listen?"

Mark wondered, "Well, I promised Emolga we would leave the coast around sundown and-"

Emolga tapped his head, "Emo! Emolga!"

"You want to stay for a while and listen?" Mark asked.

"Emo!" Emolga nodded.

"Okay then, by the time he's done, we're out of there. I'm not saying goodbye twice."

**. . .**

The area was crowded with Dixierats when the sun had set, they got a big roaring campfire going and it lit up the place like a blazing inferno. A hundred yellow and orange faces glow in the darkness as Tesla fine-tuned a commandeered guitar. Ray sat next to him as Volta snuggled into his side. Bruiser and Pika sat next to each other, both with smiles on their faces. The elder Dixierat himself sat just behind them, his one eye getting ready to close for the night.

Doc instructed Ash and his friends to sit far from Tesla, saying that it would throw him off if he sees people listening to him sing. Ash asked him why, "He ain't singing to people, Ash," Doc answered, "He doesn't know we're here."

The place was quiet, dead quiet. Which was quite unusual since Dixierats were always being chatty, but that wasn't why they were here. They were here to listen to a single voice, so they'd shut up and got ready to listen. The fire crackled and popped as a Dixierat added more logs to the fire, the flames got brighter and taller. Ash blinked, even though he wasn't anywhere near the fire he could still feel the scorching heat. It was like sitting next to a blast furnace. This didn't seem to bother Tesla at all, who sat quite close to the fire. He just kept tuning the guitar, trying to get the right notes.

Ash peered closely, among all the Dixierat's surrounding him, Tesla's fur seem to glow the brightest. For a brief moment, Ash could see the old Pikachu full of life. The Pikachu held his pose in a tranquil matter, any problems that he had in mind appeared non-existent. He stopped tuning the guitar, and looked up. His eyes glow from the light of the fire.

"I had made this song years before Irvin's death," he said, "When it came out on the radio, I swore all of Faraday Island went quiet, like all time had stopped. Yes, I have to admit, I had heard a similar song before and modified it a little, so it ain't exactly original. But I'm sure the original song is dead and buried, not that anyone cares."

Just like that, Tesla started playing the guitar. Each stroke of the cord hummed with a heavy echo, resonating from the guitar throughout the camp. Hearing the notes, Ash felt down, depressed, the song was taking hold. And when he started singing, his voice twanged with a country accent.

"_Oh, Polly, Oh, Polly"_

"_It's for your sake alone..."_

"_I've left my ole` father, my country, and my home..."_

"_I've left my ole` mother to weep and to mourn..."_

"_I am a Mouse Pokémon, and far from my home."_

As if someone hit a switch, every Dixierat's face dropped. Tesla kept on placing, unaffected by his own music.

"_Oh it's rifle, and buckshot,"_

"_And the thunder lumbered loud."_

"_There's many a mangled body,"_

"_The blanket for the shroud."_

"_There's many a mangled body,"_

"_Left on the fields to mourn."_

"_I am a Mouse Pokémon, and far from my home."_

_This is starting to feel familiar, _Ash thought, _But from what?_

Ash looked around, the looks on his friends faces had dropped as well. Only Doc, Mark, and the shiny sprite Emolga had an emotionless expression.

Tesla just kept on singing without a care in the world.

"_Oh here's a cup of brandy,"_

"_And a glass of wine."_

"_You can drink to your true love,"_

"_And I'll drink to mine."_

"_You can drink to your true love,"_

"_And I'll omit and mourn."_

"_I am a Mouse Pokémon, and far from my home."_

Tesla shifted the tune of the guitar to give a steady low beat, the atmosphere seem to got colder. Ash swore the fire looked like it just died down. He wasn't ready for what he heard next.

"_I'll eat when I am hungry,"_

"_I'll drink when I'm dry."_

"_And when the humans don't kill me,"_

"_I'll live till I die."_

"_And when the humans don't kill me,"_

"_And cause me to mourn."_

"_I am a Mouse Pokémon, and far from my home."_

Tesla started up the guitar again, he played a short instrumental of the song, giving it a revitalized tone to it. The Dixierat's faces grew dreadful, several tears began to shed.

"_I'll build me a castle,"_

"_On some green mountain high."_

"_So I could see Polly,"_

"_When she comes passing by."_

"_So I could see Polly,"_

"_And help her to mourn."_

"_I am a Mouse Pokémon, and far from my home."_

"_Oh I am a Mouse Pokémon . . . and far from my home."_

Mark pat Ash on the shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Bye, Ash, give Tesla my best regards."

Ash gave him a nod. Mark cradled Emolga in his arms and disappeared into the darkness.

Tesla sat the guitar down and made his way through the crowd, the Dixierats scooted and let him passed. Within moments, he was gone, leaving behind an atmosphere still echoing with his voice.

"Let's go to bed, Ash," said Iris, "Show's over."

Ash complied without a word, he and Cilan got up and walked back to the bunker. For some reason, he cradled Pikachu in his arms. Gently rubbing his ears as he traveled through a sea of dreams.

After getting halfway towards the bunker, Doc rest his hand on Ash's shoulder, "Can I have a word with you for a minute?" he asked.

Ash and Doc stopped, under the starry night Doc told him, "Doesn't feel good, does it."

"It's not," said Ash, "I feel like my heart was being torn up."

"That's what Tesla felt when he lost his family, when he lost Irvin, and what just happened here. Tesla's not going to be fine the next time you see him, you'll notice the change soon enough."

Doc shook Ash's hand, "Though you didn't do much, and neither have we. I just want to thank you for being Tesla's friend, he speaks highly of you. Make sure that old Pikachu feels your affection."

Ash smiled, "He will, Doc, I promise you that."

"You don't need to promise me," said Doc, "I know you can do it."

**. . .**

Tesla sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, listening to the hum of the air conditioner. Apparently Nurse Joy scrounge up enough diesel fuel to keep the generators running. The old Pikachu took a deep breath and sighed, his eyelids felt heavy even though he was bathed in florescent light.

An Audino approached him and asked, _"You need anything, Tesla?"_

_ So he knows my name, _Tesla thought, he then replied in Pokémon speech, _"A bottle of water, cold if possible."_

The Audino nodded and head to the back room.

_"Tesla!" _a voice screamed.

Tesla jumped when he saw Volta come running into the Pokémon Center, then jumping up into his arms, _"I want to come with you," _she cried, _"Please!"_

The old Pikachu felt his ears ping, _"Shh, lower your voice," _he said, _"I'm tired."_

Volta covered her mouth, _"Oh, sorry."_

Tesla picked up Volta and sat her on his lap, _"Did you talk to your father?"_

_ "Right after you left, he simply told me to go with you. I saw the hurt in his eyes, Tes, he was hurt."_

"I bet he was," Tesla spoke in human speech, "Music's quite a powerful medium."

_"Please, Tesla, can I come with you?"_

Tesla thought for a moment, "Volta," he said, "I had planned to take you with me the moment I found your egg, the answer is yes."

Volta wrapped her arms around Tesla and cried, _"Thank you, I thank you! I thank you! I thank you! I thank you!"_

Tesla stroked her ears and whispered in Pokémon speech, _"Let's go to bed, we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."_

_ "Can I ask you something?" _Volta asked.

_"Sure, what is it?"_

_ "Can you talk in human speech, your human voice sounds soothing and amazing."_

Tesla couldn't help but chuckle, "Yeah, sure. Why not? I suppose maybe one day you might talk human, given trial and error."

The Audino arrived with the bottled water, _"Thank you, Audino." _Tesla spoke in Pokémon speech.

_"Your welcome."_

As the Audino walked off, Tesla picked up Volta, "Come on, Volta. We earned our rest."

He wasn't sure if she heard him, the little Pichu was already sleeping.

**THE END!**


End file.
